By M.R. Rangaswami, Sand Hill Group
One by one, technologies, models and vendors have emerged that have had a dramatic impact on the future of the software industry: open source, offshoring, services-oriented architecture (SOA) and software as a service (SaaS). Most recently, the buzz about Web 2.0 has moved to its potential in the business world.
Enterprise 2.0 is the emerging combination of all of these new technologies and models. It will re-shape the CIO’s philosophy about IT and it will transform the way vendors build and sell software.
What is " Enterprise 2.0"?
The most common definition of Enterprise 2.0 has involved the application of Web 2.0 technologies in the enterprise. But the reality is something far more. Enterprise computing is far more complex than personal computing. It includes legacy environments, innumerable vendors, mismatched data sources, stringent regulations and far-flung users. While Web 2.0 can deliver genuine advantages for both business users and consumers, the real "Enterprise 2.0" will encompass a far broader and more complex vision.
Enterprise 2.0 is the synergy of a new set of technologies, development models and delivery methods that are used to develop business software and deliver it to users.
Whether created by software vendors, internal IT departments, line-of-business units or service providers, the software of Enterprise 2.0 will be flexible, simple and lightweight. It will be created using an infinite combination of the latest–and possibly, some old-fashioned–ingredients, including
the following:
- Technologies–Open source, SOA/Web services (AJAX, RSS, blogs, wikis, tagging, social networking, and so on) Web 2.0, legacy and proprietary or some combination
- Development Models–Relying on in-house, outsourced or offshore resources–or any combination; pursuing a global development strategy; and/or pursuing co-creation with users, partners or both
- Delivery Methods–Downloading individually; paying for a license; and/or, using on-demand/SaaS or via a service provider
Only by taking a broad, holistic view of the business IT systems in place today and looking forward, beyond their constraints, will we be able to tap the necessary technologies and models to bring Enterprise 2.0 to life.
In Part 2 of this series, I will explain the advantages and benefits for software vendors to adopt Enterprise 2.0.
(Jump to the next post in this series.)
M.R. Rangaswami is co-founder of Sand Hill Group and founder of SandHill.com, a strategic online resource for software business executives. This piece first appeared as part of an op-ed on SandHill.com.
