Enterprise Social Software functionality has become commoditized, by definition. ESS is also taking on characteristics of an utility. Open sourcing software commodities allows others to create value with them at price points lower than those charged by providers of proprietary solutions.

1. Enterprise Social Software
as a Commodity
Acquia Drupal Business Summit
Gleacher Center, Chicago, IL
November 30, 2010

4. Commodity: a good for which there is
demand, but which is supplied without
qualitative differentiation across a
market. Commoditization occurs as a
goods or services market loses
differentiation across its supply base.
Source: Wikipedia
Commodity: a good or service whose
wide availability typically leads to
smaller profit margins and diminishes
the importance of factors (as brand
name) other than price.
Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary

6. Utility: a basic service
Source: InvestorWords.com
Utility: a program or routine designed
to perform or facilitate especially routine
operations (as copying files or editing
text) on a computer.
Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary

7. Enterprise Social Software has
Become a Commodity
Profiles Files
Social Network Discussion Forums
Status Updates Bookmarks
Activity Streams Tagging
Communities Mobile Access
Blogs SharePoint Integration
Wikis Analytics

8. Commoditization of Proprietary
Software Leads To:
price decreases absent innovation
vendor reliance on services to produce revenue
market consolidation favoring platform vendors

9. Proprietary v. Commodity
Software Pricing

10. Open Source Software Commodities
Software commodities can be open
sourced so others can create new value
with them

11. Open Source Software Commodities
Software commodities can be open
sourced so others can create new value
with them
Tomcat app server
Struts app framework
Lucene search
Jackrabbit repository
Jetspeed portal
Lenya CMS

12. Social Software as a Utility
93% of adult Americans using social
media think that a company should
have a social media presence.
41% said businesses should use
social media to solicit consumer
feedback.
43% said businesses should use
social media to solve consumer
problems.
Source: 2008 Cone Business in Social Media Study

13. Social Software as a Utility
58% of teens would consider their
ability to access social networks at
work when considering a job offer from
a potential employer.
Source: 2009 Junior Achievement/Deloitte Teen Ethics Survey

14. Social Software as a Utility
N = 346
Source: Symantec “Social Networking at Work” Survey, June 2010

15. Social Software as a Utility
“Social networks will be like air. Just
always there.”
Source: @BerlinerMax tweet during Webciety, March 2010

16. Social Software Evolution:
What’s Next

17. Enterprise Social Software Market
Evolution: Social Layer

18. Enterprise Social Software Market
Evolution: Single Function Apps

19. Enterprise Social Software Market
Evolution: Embedded Services

20. Next Wave: Convergence
Social
Collaboration
Portal
Web Content Management
Search
Analytics
Business Process Management

21. Next Wave: Convergence