As Dion wrote on the Dachis Group blog:
When Web 2.0 arrived on the scene in the middle of the decade, it was clear that something momentous was happening in our personal lives, but it was almost too large a change for most of us to easily digest. Now, much the same transformation has begun in our businesses. Back then I decided to immediately create a company to bring these ideas — and changes that accompany them — in the most positive possible way to enterprises around the world and I haven’t looked back.
The outcome was something most of you are now quite familiar with in the subject matter we explore in depth in our blogs, workshops, books, articles, speeches, and consulting practice: social software, cloud computing, open APIs, innovation, crowdsourcing, Web 2.0, Enterprise 2.0, Social CRM, and more. It is now increasingly clear that these ideas are all part of a macro set of trends and concepts that are changing the way we structure and operate our organizations today. Thus, as I stated in the press release, I believe that Social Business Design captures these ideas in a comprehensive approach that will be an essential foundation of next-generation enterprises.
The coming half-decade is going to be a tremendously important and exciting one in the business world as organizations look to fundamentally retool for the 21st century, an era that has quite different expectations and requirements around business and how it gets done.
Enterprise 2.0 Council member Susan Scrupski posted what this means to the new industry:
This is a terrific development in our sector as the consultants who’ve been independent are recognizing there is a tremendous amount of demand to understand and adapt to the technology-driven disruption and innovation that is exploding around the globe as a result of the socially interconnected web. Where the majority of our members in the Council are inventing wheels for the first time, the extension of their hard work will require a bench of professional talent. In order for consultants to meet that demand, consolidation is the only way to deliver by taking advantage of economies of scale. Whether the opportunity is strategy, technical integration, education, or assistance with deployment, the days for external evangelism are probably coming to an end. The idealism that led the first era of this sector has now been replaced with pragmatism and will help businesses of all size move to the next level.
It reminds me of the boutique firms that cropped up in other eras that helped large companies manage the transition from before to after. Over time, the large consultancies will enter the market. That’s when we’ll know we’ve arrived. I’ve already seen some interesting arrangements with off-shore firms who have some unique capabilities to bring to the party. As this business turns its attention to growing up, I applaud the pioneering efforts of these early bloggers and teachers who’ve brought us to this point.
As the only Indian firm who is looking at advising clients on leveraging emerging social technologies both internally and externally to transform themselves into social businesses, we at 2020 Social applaud this development. As Susan says, it means the market is maturing and thought leadership will now transform to business results for clients.
Personally, I feel HR people are well equipped in their organizations to drive this change - and a great post by Volker Seubert on what is the relevance of Enterprise 2.0 to HR should be a must read.
Check this presentation Volker made:
Interested? Contact me :)
