"Understanding Cloud Computing in the spirit of innovation. This is
critical because the cloud is the underpinning and architecture of
social media. A new framework for understanding is mandated as the
world wide web has become the world wide computer", says Vanessa DiMauro who wrote on http://www.businessblogshub.com on "Social Media and Cloud Computing: A Call to Action for IT Leaders". Below is the extract which offer insights into some of the key areas of the such trend:
1. Cloud computing offers greater efficiencies for business
Cloud
computing is able to offer enterprise greater efficiencies and
collaboration around people and the content they offer. Some speakers
asserted that the cloud can provide a risk reduction as business are
now able to align their technology consumption with their technology
needs and, in fast, shatter former models of time to market. By working
through the cloud businesses can democratize technology and serve as a
powerful enabler to all – staff, partners and clients alike. In many
ways, cloud technology is an unstoppable revolution because it advances
the performance of the business.
2. The cloud is a pure disruptive technology
The
sheer disruptive force of the cloud upon business is not to be
overlooked, however. In the past, successful business innovation could
largely be shaped by skilled and controlled processes. “If you want to
control the outcome, control the process” remarked Andrew McAfee.
However, he continued, with social computing, we need to stop trying to
impose structured work flow and get new flavors of order.
Social
can not be controlled as we can not reign in the universe of social.
Controlling social media is akin to boiling the ocean – exhausting and
futile at the same time. But its disruptive nature can be shaped to the
advantage of business if and when (as it is just a matter of time) they
are able to map the right processes to making sense of structured and
unstructured social data to help the business succeed. Social computing
produces volumes of valuable data for the enterprise – we just need to
find the right methods for data mining and social CRM best practice. We
need to go to the customers, wherever they are.
3. Social computing can fundamentally change enterprise relationships with clients, partners and staff
The
advice heard time and time again was let the good of social shine
through and inform the bottom line through better customer care,
product development, QA processes, and to help define business
innovation needs. Simply put, social brings to organizations a new way
of doing business but there is a heavy organizational change required
to make sense of the information gathered and the content shared
through the social web. The structure of knowledge is no longer
predefined as it was in the past through knowledge management systems
(or “knowledge coffins”). As my fellow panelist, Joe Vito, CTO of Dunn
and Bradstreet so eloquently said during our session on the impact of
social on the Information and Media Industry “Cloud computing will soon
be our only option to cope with the growth of digital info.”
The
role of the new breed of search called “broadcast search” was also
examined in depth. “Broadcast search” was defined as communicating your
ignorance in order to find what you need, like asking a question of
your followers. Social computing combined with the power of information
broadcast yields a greater depth of information and access to experts
around the globe as people put out their questions and assistive
responses on the web. The new search, when social principles are
applied, enables a growing body of work to emerge which taps into the
wisdom of everybody. This has huge ramifications on how we find and
share information and can fundamentally change the way we make
decisions.
4. The cloud is changing the IT leadership role
Along
with high hopes for the change that social computing brings to
enterprise, the cloud also places a great responsibility on the CIO.
She is being called to the executive table to drive and inform the
business innovation brought about through social computing. We are
early in this transformational journey and social computing is still in
its infancy. Business and IT need to form strong alliances and
alignment to support the bottom line as delivered through the social
web. Be it within the internal cloud (or new order KM systems),
customer facing and the social CRM that drives the business’ ability to
understand and interpret customer needs, there are many technology and
business decisions to be made. IT executives need to help shape the
culture of their organizations to ensure the right (and right number)
of tools are invested in, ensure that the organizations’ ability to use
the tools is well understood, and perhaps most importantly, help drive
the bus when social innovation is embraced by the business lines
through the best practice adoption of the right tools at the right time
within the enterprise.
