The PSC Group Newsletter

 Vol.9 No.16 - August 26, 2009

 In this issue:  

This Week's Theme

Command and Control of Social Media: It Matters To The Enterprise

Social Media can no longer be dismissed as the buzzword of 2009.  It is changing the nature of reaching, attracting and retaining customers and clients.  This short video is filled with statistics regarding the growth of Social Media.

There are a few things that really stand out regarding the velocity of change:  It took Television 13 years to reach 50 million users and it took the Internet four.  Facebook added 100 million users and 1 BILLION iPhone applications were downloaded in just under nine months.

Additionally, more formal research shows that podcasting and social media are important technologies at the fastest growing companies in the US.  The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research recently conducted one of the first statistically significant, longitudinal studies on the usage of social media in corporations.

Research Highlights:

The research suggests that companies that are using social media & new media technologies are growing faster than other companies.  The social media technologies the INC 500 are using: Social Media can no longer be dismissed as the buzzword of 2009.  It is changing the nature of reaching, attracting and retaining customers and clients.  This short video is filled with statistics regarding the growth of Social Media.

There are a few things that really stand out regarding the velocity of change:  It took Television 13 years to reach 50 million users and it took the Internet four.  Facebook added 100 million users and 1 BILLION iPhone applications were downloaded in just under nine months.

Additionally, more formal research shows that podcasting and social media are important technologies at the fastest growing companies in the US.  The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research recently conducted one of the first statistically significant, longitudinal studies on the usage of social media in corporations.

Domino's Pizza is one of the most well publicized, as a video of employees defacing a pizza was posted on You Tube in April of 2009.    By 9:30 PM that very day,  there were over 1 million views of that video.  Domino's was caught off guard and unable to respond for several days.

As we at PSC listen to our clients,  there is clearly an enterprise need for managing Social Media content, both in the creation of that content and in the monitoring of content being created by those outside the organization's direct control.  From our perspective,  the rapid increase in Social Media is fundamentally changing the nature of Web Content Management. Web Content Management used to be about managing content about your business on your own Web site, developed and posted by your own people.  Now it needs to be about managing content associated with your business all over the Web developed and posted by both internal and external resources.

The Management Command and Control Components that have made Web Content Management so ubiquitous in the enterprise  (security, accountability, coordination, consistency, audit trails, workflow approvals, and metrics) need to be carried over to Social Media Content Management Systems.  And we are working with our clients to develop just such Social Media Management Systems to work in conjunction with their existing Web Content Management Tools.

If you are interested in finding out more,  please contact us at  info@psclistens.com or give a call at 800-592-8003

Thought Of the Week

Distinguishing Between Improvement and Fundamental Change

It is hard for mangers (and especially IT managers) to distinguish between the erosion of their current technology and the need to change the fundamental nature of that technology. We prefer status quo -- following the growth/maintenance curve upgrading to the latest versions and adding the latest bells and whistles (features and functions) along the way.   What we overlook is that the curve is neither linear nor never ending.   Its path is what is known as a life cycle.  Horses were replaced by cars,  gas lights were replaced by lights bulbs...you get the idea.  There is always a peak in IT where maintenance starts to dominate and the effectiveness starts heading downhill.   If you are not sure when this happens, just check your work log.  If you are like (too) many companies and are spending 80% of your time on maintenance and firefighting and only 20% on development, you are way past the peak.  The trick to avoiding this is to know the difference between your current "horse" and what is new and different.   Easier said than done -- knowing the difference is one of the most difficult things to do.  It is also the most important.   So, join your peers at forums and round tables.   Read as much as you can.  Engage a Trusted Advisor.   Do all you can to understand where you are and where you should be.  Your company depends on it.

Announcements

PSC Offers Special Oracle Fusion Middleware Suite 11g Upgrade Analysis

Now is the time to learn more about and take advantage of the new features of Oracle Fusion Middleware Suite 11g by ordering a specially priced Upgrade Analysis.  This limited time offer available through October 9, 2009.  Click here for the details

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Midwest Lotus User Group Conference 2009 Chicago - August 27-28, 2009

Registrations are now open for two days of an intensive exchange of knowledge and fun with other members of the Lotus community.  Meet with your fellow Lotus professionals and share your experiences and best practices.  Visit with the experts as they talk about the present and the future of Notes and Domino.  Learn more about how Lotus Collaboration technologies can improve your business.   Click here to learn more and to register.