Do you think Sam Lawrence is worried or happy with the attention such stock statements make? What is that old saying ‘any press is good press’. What the worst that could happen?

Oppps, thanks for pointing out the missing source for the graphs and yes, it was Forrester. Plus thanks for the compliments, your blogs looks somewhat like mine but funnier Loved the Laurel & hardy image and the mag cover stories

Catch you either at Boston if there or in San Fran later in the year, but I maybe in touch in the meantime for some stuff for our new website.

Those look like Forrester slides but I can’t see a source? Even so, I buy the Forrester theory that much of this gets commoditized, so there had better be more to your software model than a shiny new 2.0 product.

I like your analogies, and the question being asked. Revolutions like the PC [or Kodak], however, are really stretching the hoopla… and again, in my humble opinion. — jeffrey http://www.radiowalker.com

Thanks for the comment. It is a dilemma, there can be no doubt. What was the saying, ‘You never got fired for buying IBM’, so now Enterprise 2.0 purchases can be pushed through well know channels and integrated much more easily but at what price? As you say grassroots purchases have been fuelling Enterprise 2.0 growth with Confluence/Clearspace type products into the creativity hearts of many big firms.

The trouble is firms now have information and data on these under the table systems which is being relied upon. Of course, it is really the people where the information and knowledge is to be found and nurtured and not the IT systems. Much of this situation is a result of the well documented business user dissatisfaction with IT investments, which has been brewing for years. As you say we are seeing the meeting in the middle between business users and management controls. I feel a little sorry for IT as they really are ‘stuck’ in the firing line. One way or another change is inevitable.

I’ll add you to my reader to keep in touch

Nick

I agree that it’s going to be a fascinating thing to see this stage in the technology development process unfold. The good news I see from the enterprise players (IBM, et. al.) entering the market is that – in spite of their shortcomings and blunders – they quickly legitimize markets from an IT perspective, which is where we’ll see the benefits most quickly.

At the same time, the “suite” perspective (funny you made the example of the ultimate “frankensuite”) is old-think. And many enterprises are “holding out” for suites as they are looking to IBM, Microsoft and other traditional enterprise players to provide them.

The end-user is left to their own devices, meanwhile, and is bringing in their own social software solutions (you can get free 5-user + server licenses from Jive, Attensa, et. all) instead of waiting for IT to go out for RFP, test, create a deployment plan and roll out.

It’s a delicate dance, and the IT team is right smack dab in the middle, trying old moves to new music.