Web 2.0 in the Enterprise

This article might be interesting mto special libraries. It discusses IBM’s launch of a suite of Web 2.0 and social networking and collaboration apps inside IBM for business purposes.
IBM Gulps Its Own Web 2.0 Kool-Aid
By Clint Boulton, eWeook.com
December 19, 2007
Behind the firewall, Big Blue staffers are embracing a host of conventional and experimental Web technologies.
NEW YORK—Google is often portrayed as the technology hipster, rolling out Web applications almost at whim.
“But unseen to the public, IBM is rolling out Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs, wikis, mashups and virtual reality technologies to help its employees be more productive. Inside its firewall, Big Blue looks pretty hip.
IBM officials, led by IBM CIO Mark Hennessy, demonstrated several of those technologies for a small group of reporters and analysts at the company’s main Madison Avenue office Dec. 18.
IBM’s Metaverse virtual reality software is one of these areas. Though still a bit rough around the edges—it won’t be mistaken for Second Life—some 2,200 IBM staffers are testing ways to collaborate with colleagues in the Metaverse, according to Mike Ackerbauer, innovation manager for collaboration development at IBM.
Ackerbauer said IBM staffers leverage IBM’s internal virtual conferencing application through Web services to have online meetings in 3D. This approach is a boon for IBM employees, who are spread out all over the world.”
Also discussed in the article are mashups and wikis.
Pretty advanced for old Blue. It shows that somme of these 2.0 thingees are finding traction in the world of business too.
Stephen