Enterprise Social Media is growing up. Those working in the areas of corporate knowledge sharing, knowledge management and workplace collaboration have long known that the systems they help devise and implement can drive business transformation. Yet the industry has long been dogged by questions about measurable Return On Investment (ROI).

Instinctively, we’ve always known that enterprise social tools help businesses by increasing the opportunities for workers to collaborate more effectively on projects, share knowledge and experience more efficiently, and often help those seeking to get things done to cut through unnecessary bureaucracy by flattening corporate structures. Those of us in the industry know it’s true – we’ve seen it work time and time again – yet a good five or more years since the term “Enterprise 2.0” came into regular use, only now are tough questions about ROI being asked, and answered, in ernest. The second wave of adopters are demanding to see real numbers before taking the leap.

During Social Media in the Enterprise on the 15th of March, we’ll be asking all our contributors tough questions about ROI. What is measurable? What are they measuring? How do the costs and benefits of implementing enterprise social tools compare, directly, with the costs and benefits of parallel activities? (more…)

Speaker line-up announced at the London Social Media Events.  200 confirmed speakers across the conferences.  See our full line-up below.

Speakers @ Enterprise Social Media & Cloud Computing http://www.cloudcomputingcongress.com – 15/16th March

* David Akka, MD, Magic Software Enterprises UK, Eire & Nordics
* Chris Rae, EMEA Director, Automation Solutions, CA
* Dion Hinchliffe, Editor in Chief, Social Computing Magazine & Web 2.0 Journal
* Geoff Timblick, Group Internal Communications Manager, New Media, Vodafone Group
* Helen Farrar, Head of Internal Communications, Virgin Media
* Martin Bellamy, CIO, Cabinet Office
* Adrian Steel, Head of Infrastructure Management, Royal Mail
* Thanos Kokkiniotis, Business IT Analyst, Shell International Ltd
* Eachan Fletcher, CIO, Sporting Index
* Simon Revell, Associate Director, Collaboration and Web Technologies, Pfizer
* David Wilde, CIO, Westminster City Council
* Per Rombouts, Project Manager Intranet & Social Media, ING Group
* Kenneth Verlage, CIO, DHL Express
* Paul James, CIO, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, MOD
* Dominic Burch, Head of Corporate Comms and New Media, ASDA
* Sonia Carter, Senior Manager Online Communications, AXA
* Anthony Frost, Head of Corporate Communications, Santander
* Euan Semple, Independent Advisor/former Director of Knowledge Management BBC
* Alison Coward, Owner, Bracket
* Evangelos Kotsovinos, Vice President, Technology, Morgan Stanley
* Eachan Fletcher, CIO, Sporting Index
* Richard Ellis, Manager, UK & Ireland, Iron Mountain Digital
* Andrew Charlesworth, Director, Centre for IT and Law, University of Bristol
* Dr Bill Ashraf, Director of Technology Enhanced Learning, University of Sussex
* Adrian Davey, Head of IT, Tube Lines (more…)

The success of Web 2.0 consumer web sites teaches us many lessons about how we can improve internal IT and business to consumer online applications. Social technologies have made it progressively easier and easier for people to find each other, share information and collaborate, and we have seen how a singular focus on supporting individual needs can crete powerful network effects when aggregated at scale.

However, these and other lessons have not yet penetrated the world of corporate IT in most companies today, which means expensive, centralised and highly bureaucratic models of co-ordination and collaboration are the norm.

The recession is a perfect time to change this, and to seek leaner, flatter business processes and structures that act as enablers rather than dampeners of innovation and initiative. We simply cannot afford the high-cost models of internal co-ordination that have persisted for so long. (more…)

We have introduced a Bloggers Pass for the event. Bloggers Passes are available for Enterprise Social Media/Cloud Computing bloggers looking to cover the show and become a Blogger Supporter for the event.

All bloggers passes will include the below:

* Access to all five conference streams over the two days – Social Media, Social TV, Mobile Social Media, Enterprise Social Media, and Cloud Computing
* Full access to the conference exhibition
* Access to the bloggers lounge
* Invite to the evening networking party
* Free WiFi

Bloggers Passes are limited and to receive a pass we ask the below in return:

* Display of an event banner/Blogger Supporter badge on your main website
* Post at least two blogs pre show about the event

You can find the event banners/Blogger Supporter badges on the event’s collateral pages, http://www.cloudcomputingcongress.com/media/collateral.html or http://www.enterprisesocialmedia.net/media/collateral.html

Once your blog has been published and your supporter’s button is live, please email eva (@) sixdegs.com. Once received you will receive your Bloggers Pass invite.
(subject to organiser’s approval)

For full event details for Day 1 visit http://www.enterprisesocialmedia.net, for Day 2 visit http://www.cloudcomputingcongress.com

We’re pleased to announce a new incentive – a quota of 50 complimentary conference passes for CIOs and IT Directors.

The pass includes:
• Access to Enterprise Social Media on 15th March 2010
• Access to the Cloud Computing Congress on 16th March 2010
• Access to the conference exhibition
• Access to the conference workshops
• Post event online presentation
• Lunch & refreshments
• WiFi access
• Invite to the evening networking party

The number of passes is limited, so if you are a CIO or IT Director, register today for a free pass.

To register, please send your full details to Andy (@) sixdegspeople.com. Once approved you’ll receive your free CIO pass.

For full event details for Day 1 visit www.enterprisesocialmedia.net, for Day 2 visit www.cloudcomputingcongress.com

Time to let your staff use social media at work?

It’s a license for staff to waste time.   There’s no control about what they say.   What happens if a customer makes contact with them direct?

Today’s arguments against allowing your staff to use social media at work?  Actually they were pretty much the arguments used by companies to restrict email use in the mid 1990s.

That’s worth bearing in mind as the social media in the office debate rages.

Today it’s received wisdom that email is an essential business tool, and so it will be with social media before too long.

Especially with metrics firm Nielsen showing that communication via social networks overtook communication via email.   And from personal experience, I can now think of several instances of clients messaging me direct on Twitter as opposed to pinging me an email. (more…)

To be in for a chance to attend the “Must attend” Cloud Computing event of the year FREE, simply take part in our Re-Tweet competition!

It’s Really Easy to Enter

All you need to do is put your social media skills to the test and re-tweet our competition tweet on your twitter. Just make sure your tweet contains our Twitter name (@cloud_comp_news so we can track you as a contestant) and link to this blog post

Tweet – “I am tweeting to win a free pass @cloud_comp_news, http://bit.ly/8qBTYm”

That’s all you have to do!

Winner Announcement

The winner will be selected by random on the 22nd January 2010 at 12.00 GMT. We will announce the winner via Twitter the same day (so we highly suggest you follow us and will contact the winner through DM. The winner will win a two day pass to the Cloud Computing Congress & Enterprise Social Media event taking place on the 15^th & 16^th March at Olympia Conference Centre, London.

Please Note: The winner will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs.

Rules of Competition

In order to participate, you must have a Twitter account, and have accepted the Terms of Service of Twitter. Members from every part of the world can enter the competition. In order to participate, you must send a valid Twitter message. A valid Twitter message, or tweet, contains our Twitter name (@cloud_comp_news so we can track you as a contestant), and a link to this contest page (of which http://bit.ly/8qBTYm is a short version)

For more information about our events please visit: www.socialmediaseries.net www.socialtvseries.com www.cloudcomputingseries.com

We’re pleased to announce that BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, will be supporting Enterprise Social Media and the Cloud Computing Congress.

BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, promotes wider social and economic progress through the advancement of information technology science and practice.

(more…)

The Cloud Computing and Enterprise Social Media Series Team are getting in the festive spirit and have decided to extend the 25% early bird discount until the 15th Jan, providing you with a couple more weeks to take advantage of this great saving! (more…)