How can one be an expert in something that does not exist except as a buzzword. Enterprise 1.0 companies are going to have a tough time making it to a mythical Enterprise 2.0 world because there is nothing but baloney and hype to build upon. The technologies of the “Enterprise 2.0″ world are little more than services based upon Internet Protocol related operations. I am sure you and your colleage are bright lads. But until there is a fungible Enterprise 2.0, it’s tough for me to accept “credentials” for a mythical discipline. Keep in mind that I am an addled goose, and your firm is far superior to the cranks at McKinsey, Bain, and BCG.

Stephen Arnold, November 23, 2008

I flunked English 101 but I did okay in Stephen Toulmin’s logic class. He used to say, “Methinks thou dost protest too much.” Dr. Toulmin probably cadged this from a hack like Shakespeare, but the comment is in my opinion appropriate to responses to the Enterprise 2.0 (whatever that is) rejoinders. As a failed consultant to some so-so outfits like Booz, Allen, I am also an addled goose who suspects the Enterprise 2.0 essay I wrote hit a nerve. Well, maybe not? Thanks for posting. Oh, if you don’t resonate with the name Toulmin, here’s link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Toulmin

Stephen Arnold, November 22, 2008

I can assure you, however, that blog posts see just as much scrutiny from vendors and other interested parties as “official” reports. They are typically written at a much higher level of detail, but still have the same depth of consequence.

Your examples underscore the substitution of complexity for sharply focused solutions. I can’t take your word on a person’s being an expert in a made up discipline. The difference between the work done by firms such as McKinsey and BCG and other firms pivots on the people’s expertise in specific business and technical disciplines. The credentials for a person at Booz, Allen & Hamilton or Bain in 1977 spoke for themselves. Today, it seems, buzzwords and glittering generalizations are gaining pride of place. Is that why some firms are not truly objective, focusing on running conferences and recycling reports as annuities to the very companies whose products are themselves the subjects of the study? Consulting firms want their consultants to have high profiles. For that reason, a Web log post may be as, if not more, important than a sponsored, for fee study about an area that the consulting firm is trying to “own”. I am an addled goose and know that I’m too clueless to understand Enterprise 2.,0 MBA speak.

Stephen Arnold, November 21, 2008

Your question about how firms will adopt and rationalize Enterprise 2.0 software in light of a difficult recession is a very valid concern, and as someone who looks at this very closely I agree that mashups are likely to get dinged pretty badly. While the promise of E2.0 software — better productivity, repeatable human-centric processes, and reduced resource redundancy — is especially attractive during an economic downturn the truth is that most firms are not yet thinking along these lines. Mashups specifically have a higher cost than most E2.0 software since someone needs to create and provision all those services.

The legal side is a big concern as well. Unfortunately there are no precedents as to what sort of usage record firms must keep for discovery purposes. If a finance firm is accused of insider trading will the prosecution want to see the mashup the trader was using at the time, and further still the data that was onscreen at the time of the trade? I’m sure they will. Can we provide that data today, probably not, but the vendors in this space are working on it and, frankly, mashups are still pretty immature. But I fully expect it to fill in over time.

While firms may not be thinking about these tools while they try to keep the lights on and make payroll the value they could provide is not changed. My impression was that Gil was looking to discuss some of that value, not if businesses would actually take advantage of it. Further it is worth keeping in mind that this was a blog post; since Forrester is a paid research firm most of the really good stuff is behind the paywall. If you’d like to take a look at some of our more substantive research just let me know, I’ll gladly send along a report or two on mashups.

Finally, to try to answer the question of “how can I accept him as an expert in Enterprise 2.0″ you’ll have to take my word on it. Gil is very sharp, does great research, and has been instrumental in implementing these sorts of tools in the past before joining Forrester. I’ve been working with him closely since he was hired and have been nothing but impressed.

Anyway, if you want to talk more on mashups just give me a hollar.

-Oliver Young, Analyst, Forrester Research