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Welcome to the World of Web 2.0 (continued)

and services, and has also eliminated coding from its wiki. Both Socialtext and Awareness integrate their tools into a company's Intranet home page, so they are  always visible -- and hopefully inviting -- to employees.

• Measurement Deploying enterprise-wide Web 2.0 tools can cost both time and money. Both vendors and customers should discuss how the success (or failure) of these tools can be measured. Is it a reduction in call times and clicks for phone support representatives? Something more intangible, like widespread participation? To ensure mutual satisfaction, define what success would look like before and during the process.
• Picking the right use "Wikis aren't a solution for every problem in the world," warns Brainard. Nor are blogs, RSS feeds or any single Web 2.0 tool. Business users can't expect to -- and shouldn't be encouraged to -- embrace Web 2.0 tools when more traditional software packages do the job just fine. It may be tempting to hype the shiny new wiki, especially after a large investment has been made, but companies would be wise to roll Web 2.0 applications out slowly. Recruit and encourage enthusiastic early adopters to create a base that can self-seed an organic expansion, with the tools already in place and available for use.

Web 2.0 Is Here to Stay
With Web 2.0 still a toddler, rapid change in this market segment will be a constant in the years to come. But the advantages are immediately clear. Web 2.0 marks a clear turning point in the way companies manage, organize and, perhaps most important, retain information. If nothing else, user-generated shared content has a hidden advantage that's rarely, if ever, discussed. "It's a way to keep information in-house after an employee goes out the door," says Lyons. "It's no longer locked up in their e-mail."

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