Drivers of Enterprise 2.0 Adoption
The lightweight web 2.0, blog, wiki , social net working, RSS, tagging , and mashup, is gradually entering the enterprise domain behind the firewall as Forrester[1] and Mckinsey [2]survey suggested. In the past, IT department tried to block the instant messaging from getting behind the firewall, but it failed[3]. As workers are more focusing on team productivity instead of individual productivity, they are seeking easy tools to get their job done through collaborating.

Web 2.0 changed the traditional way IT implementation. It expresses the emergent and freeform instead of the predefined and structured. It’s bottom-up instead of command-and control. Using a big word from organization behavior. it empowers employees. This is also the new generation gets educated in the dynamic environments. With the new generation entering corporate world, it is inevitable that the web 2.0 penetrate into enterprise.

Another motivator of the increasing use of Web 2.0 applications by large organizations is the competitive pressure for IT department. IT department is facing budget constraints, outsourcing, efficiency in maintaining enterprise applications, and pressure from business unit to choose user-friendly applications. The lightweight way of Web 2.0 may fit the gaps IT department is facing.

One of the key driver of Enterprise 2.0 is the virtual working place on the rise[4] Research shows that the number of virtual workers continues to increase: the percentage of companies to define themselves as virtual workplace has increased from 57 percent to 83 percent in the past 12 months. The geographically located employees need a way to collaborate efficiently on their project. The social networking and other Web 2.0 application create a leeway for distributed employees to work together virtually.

The external forces also drive corporate to engage in Enterprise 2.0.Undoubtedly, with the popularity of the blog and podcast in the consumer market, the new media opens an unprecedented communication channel for company to its customers and business partners. With business units get used to external web 2.0 styles. The demands to set up Web 2.0 behind the firewall will be raised soon. The involvement of Web 2.0 also demonstrates the company is a cutting edge one.