ìEnterprise 2.0î: Ready for Prime Time, or Not Yet?

Why this new wave wonít cross the chasm as soon as you may think.

By Philip Lay, TCG Advisors

Echoing the phenomenon that is now commonly referred to as Web 2.0, ìEnterprise 2.0î (E2.0) is a name that encapsulates long-held aspirational goals for business and government organizations that wish to become truly responsive to their customers and partners using the most leading-edge information technologies available today.Ý Thus, concepts such as the ìreal-timeî enterprise, as well as advanced ìinter-enterprise collaborationî, finally become more achievable, at least in theory.Ý E2.0 is based on technologies such as open source software, utility computing (of which SaaS is perhaps the most concrete example today), and services oriented architecture (SOA), which in its earlier iteration in the late 90s was referred to as ìweb servicesî.Ý Furthermore, all three of these technologies are at different stages of evolution and market adoption.Ý

Based on the above arguments, Enterprise 2.0 represents a wave composed of trends and technologies, rather than a single, purchasable technology or product category.Ý Like all complex new waves -or ìparadigmsî - itís an odds-on certainty that Enterprise 2.0 will take at least another five to ten years to fully form.ÝÝ In all likelihood it will be adopted in parts by most customers, depending on the sequence in which individual components of this new class of offerings can form the basis of effective solutions to important business problems.Ý My purpose here is to comment on the adoption dynamics impacting this phenomenon, since this is my special area of expertise.

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