3 Points Regarding Social Networks for Business

Evidence

The evidence that I see for social networks to become an everyday component of the business world is the popularity they have achieved, the benefits that they provide, their low cost, and the realization that prior technologies such as IM have become mainstream in the workplace also due to their low cost and heavy use.

New Opportunities for IT Technicians

As business networking expands there will likely be opportunities for IT support technicians at the provider level.  Customer support needs will grow in proportion to the increasing customer base and require additional technicians.

Skills

The most prevalent skills required of the support technicians will be troubleshooting software and hardware compatabilities and good communication skills when working with the end users.  Although they will likely never be face to face with the user, the lifespan of social networking depends on acquiring and keeping a user base that continues to multiply.  Strong technical knowledge and clear, friendly communication will help achieve this goal.

Online Business Networks

This MSNBC article discusses pros and cons of using social networking sites for business purposes:  “Online Social Networks Go to Work“.  Notably it mentions the low cost of using an online social networking site for business and the benefits it can reap.  I agree with the statement that networking technologies nobody uses are of limited value; and that as the popularity of SNS sites grows, so does their value, because a larger number of users mean better odds for productive connections.  This simply makes sense.  The value derived from non-business related sites often diminish over time as users become bored with it or their offline activities increase.  But, the value derived from business-related social networking sites may increase over time as they continue to attract business users and facilitate productive exchanges.  It will all depend on the number of users, value of the exchange and what it’s worth to the user.  My prediction is that the total economic value gained is higher for the business-related sites and they will become more prominent in the work place.

Low Cost and Provision of Service

One reason that I think business-minded customers will pick up on social networking is the economics involved.  Simply put, it is a low-cost method of increasing and maintaining a person’s career contacts.  The article “Five Reasons Social Networking Doesn’t Work”  identifies the major drawbacks that most social networking sites face, along with the highlights that will enable business-social sites to prosper.  I agree that one big problem with the popular, trendy social networking sites is “what do I do when I get there?” whereas the point is pretty obvious with a business-oriented social networking site.   I think that helps to give them lasting power.  That power, coupled with increasing usage by business users, will help build up business-oriented social networking sites as a powerful resource for the business professional.

Social Networking for Business

Social networking is everywhere.  Throughout the day you’re sure to hear references to at least one social networking site.   There’s MySpace, LiveSpaces, YouTube, del.icio.us, Flickr, Twitter, and numerous blog sites just to name a few.  Most of the popular sites are geared towards the hobbies and personal lives of people ages 16-34.  There are a few sites that try to attract the corporate world, such as LinkIn.  This site facilitates corporate ‘networking’, or communication between people with busineess needs and people who can fulfill those business needs.  Whether you’re trying to get in touch with the right person at a company or locating the correct merchandise, sites like this are worth a try.

My prediction is that social networking sites will become increasingly important in the business world.  Such as email and IM (instant messaging) have gained high technological status in business communications, I believe that social networking will also.  It’s all based on usage and what benefits the user will experience.  As more people use it for business purposes, more will find it beneficial and the networking system will continue to grow.

Trends and Predictions

This is the first post to my segment on trends and predictions in the realm of technology.  These predictions will be compiled from my thoughts based on research and experience.  My goal is to identify the direction that technogical trends are heading towards.  Hopefully this will develop a list of technologies worth keeping an eye on and help to be prepared for what the future holds.  Especially when it comes to information security, the most powerful defense is knowledge and information!