Enterprise 2.0

It is more than transparent that Internet is the world most immense change of the 20th century, allowing users to transfer their entire lives online. Another consistent transformation is represented by the shift from web 1.0 to web 2.0, which enables users to view, share, change and create content, rather than being only able to read it. Since organisations are composed essentially by human resources, companies encountered a considerable evolution soon after this new technology appeared. Many experts in the field argue whether the web 2.0 usage is just rendering the process simpler and more rapid, or whether it represents a completely different and original practice. It will be explained with different approaches, discussing different topics, why this advancement does not only represent an improvement to the old structure of the enterprise, but illustrates an entirely new idea of doing business. The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate both the external and the internal changes in globally established organisations after the arrival of web 2.0 and to present the augmented possibilities of small companies when such technologies are employed. Communication, the biggest change this technology brought, will be discussed in detail, justifying its qualities when applied to organisations. Lastly, the implemented business of advertising online will be argued, explaining how it became one of the most important values in the internet era and introducing its differences and advantages comparing to the classic marketing tools.

Niall Cook, in his book about enterprise 2.0, categorises the social software tools focusing on four key components, which are communication, cooperation, collaboration and connection; known also as the 4CS approach, this concept radically transforms the way people operate, interact and participate in the working environment. Indeed, web 2.0 enables colleagues from different departments in different parts of the globe to be part of the same...