This document discusses social software and IBM solutions for social collaboration. It begins with an introduction and overview of social software, noting how it has enabled interaction and information sharing through sites like Facebook and YouTube. It then discusses IBM solutions for social collaboration, including Lotus Connections for on-premise deployment and LotusLive as a software-as-a-service offering. Both provide features like profiles, blogs, files sharing, and activities. The document concludes by highlighting benefits experienced by IBM through increased productivity, knowledge sharing, and skills development using social software.

1. Social Software Discussion
Chris Sparshott
IBM Software Group

2. • Introductions
• Purpose of meeting
• Social software
overview
– Change
• IBM Solutions
– Lotus Connections
– LotusLive
• Next Steps

3. The world has changed

4. Inter-connected

5. Inter-connected

6. Inter-dependent

7. Inter-dependent
1,250 New Zealanders are losing their job every week.
Peter Conway
Secretary of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Stock market Jobless

8. Inter-dependent
State Department officials earlier urged Twitter to delay scheduled
maintenance work to avoid interrupting its service in Iran.
Twitter
?
YouTube
Iranian Student Shot

9. The world has changed
Every interaction has an effect
The number of interactions is increasing

10. What is Social Software ?
http://flickr.com/photos/deanspic/2371901531/

11. Social software is normally defined as a range of Web-
dependent tools that allow interaction and information
sharing amongst users.
This computer-mediated communication has become very
popular with social sites like MySpace and Facebook,
media sites like Flickr and YouTube, and commercial sites
like Amazon and eBay.
Many of these applications share characteristics like
interoperability, service oriented design and the ability
to easily upload information and media.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_software

12. Employees need ...
People Places Things
“I need someone to “We need a “I need to find
explain this to me” place to information”
collaborate”
Tacit Context Explicit

13. What is a Social Network?
A social network is a network of people.
But it is not about the people themselves, which
solutions like expertise location focus on; it’s about
relationships.
The value is in the relationship or tie “between”
people – and the reciprocal activity of giving and
receiving:

14. The benefits of Networking are significant to the
Individual as well as the Organization
For Individuals, it’s about: For Organizations, it’s about:
• Being and staying “in the loop” • Improving the productivity of
knowledge workers – since their
• Being “top of mind” for special work is highly collaborative and
projects, interesting work: social
Statistics show that more than 70 • Getting everyone involved in
percent of jobs are found and filled innovation through collaboration
through networking
• Making everyone’s talent accessible
• Increased visibility, efficiency and to the organization
productivity
• Improving efficiency by leveraging
• Improved opportunities to the expertise of everyone
contribute
• Improved social capital
• Being efficient by tapping into
other’s expertise as mentors or • Creates a dynamic environment
consultants that will provide sustainable
business advantage through
• Innovation through brainstorming employee satisfaction and retention
and collaboration

15. Common criticisms include:
I don't have
the time
Sharing is a lot of
work
It doesn't make sense
in my role
I'm at clients all the
My work is
time anyway
confidential
I don't want people
The tools are too to bug me
complicated http://flickr.com/photos/notjake13/2512978292/

16. Common praises include:
I find information
quickly
It gives me a sense
of community
It helps me find
experts
It provides
some
serendipity
It expands my
network
I can learn
from others
http://flickr.com/photos/26601279@N04/2496173491/

17. Organisations need social software to...
Be simple for employees to access and use.
Offer the security required by corporate guidelines.
Provide quick and accurate search capabilities.
Seemlessly integrate into employee workflow.

18. What's available ?
http://flickr.com/photos/beatdrifter/260132788/

19. What's available ?
Lotus Connections (on-premise)
Homepage
Provides you with a consolidated, drag & drop customizable view
Communities
Create, find, join, and work with communities of people who share a common interest
Blogs
Use a weblog to capture unstructured knowledge
Bookmarks
Save, organize and share bookmarks; discover others with similar interests & expertise
Wikis (coming in Q309)
Create wiki spaces for individuals, groups, and communities to coauthor pages.
Profiles
Quickly find expertise by searching across your organization using keywords
Files
Upload and share any type of file with colleagues and communities.
Activities
Organize your work, plan next steps, and easily tap your professional network
http://flickr.com/photos/beatdrifter/260132788/

20. w3 Role www
LC Activities Shared Tasks Basecamp
LC Profiles Profiles LinkedIn / Facebook
LC Blogs Blogging WordPress
LC File Share File Sharing Bluehouse, Dropbox
LC Bookmarks Social Bookmarking Del.icio.us
LC Communities Communities NING
LC Wiki Wiki Wikipedia
… … …

21. What's available ?
LotusLive (SaaS)
Profiles
Quickly find expertise by searching across your organization using keywords
Files
Upload and share any type of file with colleagues and
communities.
Activities
Organize your work, plan next steps, and easily tap your
professional network
Blogs (2010)
Use a weblog to capture unstructured knowledge
http://flickr.com/photos/beatdrifter/260132788/

22. Impact of Social Collaboration at
IBM
IBM social software benefits acknowledged by
% of survey respondents
Improved customer satisfaction 42%
Increased sales 60%
Increased sense of belonging 65%
Improved personal reputation 65%
Increased productivity 74%
Reused assets 77%
Shared know ledge w ith others 84%
Accessed experts quicker 84%
Increased skills 87%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
*Source: IBM Community of Practice Business Impact Survey 2007 completed by approximately 2,300 respondents.