Web 3.0?

John Hagel writes:

What Phil really seems to be talking about is the migration into the enterprise space of many of the technologies that are shaping Web 2.0 in the consumer arena. As Phil suggests, this is part of the broader “consumerization” of IT. This is an important development and it is only in its earliest stages.

One significant barrier delaying deployment of these technologies is the cultural gap separating many of the early pioneers of Web 2.0 initiatives and enterprise CIOs. The pioneers of Web 2.0 generally view large enterprises as dinosaurs. Enterprise CIOs, if they are even aware of developments associated with Web 2.0, tend to dismiss them as marginal novelties with little relevance for “real” business.

Mobilcasting

Rob Greenlee writes: "The bottom line for me is that mobile Internet connected cell phones are today able to extend our ability to communicate with each other and that Mobilcasting can be a great way to stay up to date with friends who may be experimenting with making Podcasts. The number of people and companies making audio Podcasts is growing fast and thus the listeners to Podcasts are also growing fast. I am a firm believer that podcasters listen to Podcasts and maybe the largest group of Podcast listeners. I think the growth in Podcasting is more about creation and personal connection."

TECH TALK: The Best of Tech Talk 2005: SMEEMs, India and Entrepreneurs

A common theme this year has been the rise of service-based computing. I wrote about ‘The Coming Age of ASPs’ in May:

Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises in Emerging Markets (SMEEMs) have a twin focus for their business: how do they grow, and how do they ensure that they manage this growth efficiently. Business growth comes from getting new customers and retaining existing customers (and upselling to them). One of the key ways to bring in efficiency in operations comes from automation. Smaller companies are more focused on generating newer business opportunities since they have a greater control on costs. Mid-sized companies need to more focused on ensuring business efficiency – they already have business coming in, and that needs to be managed better. So, the basic mantra for SMEEMs can probably be summed up as: automation for growth.

Technology can play a role in helping SMEEMs achieve both the objectives. Business growth can be enhanced via the use of the Web through a website, email newsletters, use of CRM (customer-relationship management) software, and search-engine marketing. Automation can be achieved by streamlining the flow of information across the value chain – to complement the flow of products and services, and money. What the right use of information technology can do is to ensure that the right information is available to the right set of people at the right time – so that decisions can be made appropriately. In essence, what IT can do is to enable SMEEMs to become event-drive, real-time enterprises.

India is never far away from my thoughts. How can we build a better India? I wrote in a September Tech Talk on the same theme:

In India, we now have 60 million mobile phone users. By end of 2006, this number will have reached close to 100 million. This will mean that one in 10 Indians will have the power of two-way communication using a device they always carry with them. This is one of the fundamental building blocks for bringing about the citizen participation in ensuring a better India.

The second building block is the aggregate of software tools like blogs and wikis which enable people to write and share with others. While these are for the most part Web-based, it will be increasingly possible to read their content on mobiles – and even write from the phone itself. Mobile phones equipped with cameras can be used to take pictures. Posting to photo-blogs like Flickr and using syndication technologies like RSS helps keep people abreast of what’s happening. An SMS can be sent to people whenever there is an update on specific sites or an opinion is needed.

Taken together, these technologies will help citizens collaborate much more easily. That is a step towards co-ordinating action. What is now needed is for government documents and decisions to be made publicly available. Some of this is already happening. But if citizens can be made active participants in the debate, they can help shape their own future.

I built on the ‘India Empowered’ theme in an October Tech Talk: “India Empowered is thus Indians Enlightened so that they can combine Insight and Experience with Inspiration and Emergence resulting in Incomes Enhanced. India Empowered is a land where Irrational Exuberance Is Encouraged!”

To build the New India, we need more entrepreneurs. “India, because of its backwardness and limited legacy, offers a great first market for bringing this new infrastructure to life. India has to be the first market, but then we have to also extend these solutions to other emerging markets…I believe that the next Google-like company can emerge out of India or China. I hope we can make it happen from India. And with the wealth generation out of that we can get down to the business of nurturing more entrepreneurs in India and also playing an important role in helping India develop. India’s politicians have, for the most part, failed us. India’s entrepreneurs cannot afford to.”

Tomorrow: Abhishek

Related Entries:  [All]
TECH TALK: The Best of Tech Talk 2005: Emergic Ecosystem and Netcore [December 30, 2005]
TECH TALK: The Best of Tech Talk 2005: Abhishek [December 29, 2005]
TECH TALK: The Best of Tech Talk 2005: Search, Memex and Mirror Worlds [December 27, 2005]
TECH TALK: The Best of Tech Talk 2005: Disruptions and Mobiles [December 26, 2005]
TECH TALK: The Best of 2005: Moreover [December 23, 2005]