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Wednesday, October 21, 2009
IBM’s Center for Social Software looks at the next stage
By Jackie Noblett
MHT's Galen Moore: New 'hyperlocal' web trend
MHT's Efrain Viscarolasaga: How social networking is changing business
The Murphy brothers' software-selling family tree
As companies turn to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other social-networking tools to advance their business, some of the largest technology firms have been busy working on their own versions that help businesses get to know employees and customers better. The hope is that social-networking tools can enhance collaboration by mapping and sorting not just product data, but relationship data, which can then be used to retain top employees and enhance customer interactions.
IBM Corp. jumped headlong into this space a year ago by forming the Center for Social Software, headquartered in Cambridge. Some three dozen employees locally along with global teams across a half-dozen research labs work to help companies collaborate by using social tools and then integrating those tools into existing products such as its Lotus collaboration software. Mass High Tech reporter Jackie Noblett recently sat down with the center’s chief, Irene Greif, to see what progress has been made so far.
MHT: How is social software different from traditional collaboration software?
Greif: What social software does is it makes explicit relationship information between two people. In a system that you friend people, you create relationships and connections between people that can be seen. That information hadn’t been explicit in traditional collaboration tools. It also allows you to mine information for what it says about people and that can be used to improve relationships.
MHT: What are some of the projects the center has worked on this year?
Greif: We’ve been doing a lot of visualizations of data — the Many Eyes project has allowed people to create their own visualizations and use them in company meetings. We’ve also tested a few things internally, like Cattail, which is an enhanced file-sharing service, and Beehive, which was asked the question “What would it be like to bring something like Facebook into the company?” ... We’re looking at how to enhance collaboration on project teams using avatars, which means you can have virtual “water cooler” conversations with colleagues thousands of miles away.
MHT: What has been the experience of companies that work with the center on social technology products?
Greif: People know they need to do this now. We’re more hearing “How do we do this?” rather than “Should we do this?” Customers are concerned about adoption rates, but that’s why you have to have different tools for different people.
MHT: What about privacy? Are users concerned their comments or personal information can be leaked outside of the company walls?
Greif: People can take information inappropriately without technology. It does feel though, when someone sends something in an e-mail or online, it feels like it can be easier to share something that maybe you shouldn’t.
MHT: Can social software ultimately take the place of face-to-face interaction?
Greif: I don’t want it to replace face-to-face interaction, but I think it can provide many of the qualities you find in face-to-face meetings. You can see trust; you can build trust with social software. And as companies become more distributed, social networks can help you maintain the work ties even when teams are in different places.
Anti-social media?
More than half of CIOs surveyed by placement firm Robert Half Technology said that their organizations prohibit any use of social-networking tools such as Twitter, Facebook and
MySpace. Dave Willmer, executive director of Robert Half Technology, said it is understandable that some companies would limit employee access to social-networking sites because usage can divert users’ attention from their priorities, but that for some professions the sites can be leveraged “as effective business tools.” He said common sense should dictate how social-networking tools are used, even during business hours.
Which of the following most closely describes your company’s policy on visiting social networking sites, such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, while at work?
Prohibited completely
54%
Permitted for business use only
19%
Permitted for limited personal use
16%
Permitted for any personal use
10%
Don’t know/No answer
1%
Base: 1,400 CIOs interviewed by phone
Source: Robert Half Technology
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