2008 will be the year of Enterprise 2.0

This year will be when Enterprise 2.0 becomes firmly established. Different countries are at different stages of development and uptake, but the broad trend is clearly visible. This is not to say that at the end of this year all organizations will be using Web 2.0-style tools and approaches, however the momentum this year will become undeniable. We are already at the point where virtually all large organizations have some kind of recognized activities in the space, even if it’s just a department trialling a wiki. If we take into account unofficial activities, then we can say that all organizations are doing something. In all of my research and conversations with large organizations, it’s clear to me that the space is ripe to become

According to ReadWriteWeb, Forrester’s report Top Enterprise 2.0 Predictions for 2008 (a very expensive 8 page report) agrees, and suggests a few reasons why Web 2.0 tools will hit the mainstream this year.

First is that the geeks in IT are already playing with these fun tools on their own behalf, and that the visibility and the value will mean they are trialled more broadly in the organization.

Second is that so many employees are already using online applications and web tools because it’s easier than asking IT to get things done, so companies will prefer to offer them robust, secure applications rather than incur the risk of things not being done well.

Third is that using Web 2.0 tools demonstrates leadership and innovation, which among other benefits, attracts and retains talented staff.

The report emphasizes RSS as a key platform for Enterprise 2.0, and says that enterprise mashups will eat into existing markets including portals and search. Absolutely – what used to be difficult and expensive is becoming easy and inexpensive. Of course, that's if it’s done well…