Just Dive In

There are many components to Enterprise 2.0 applications. While mashups are hardly new on the Web 2.0 consumer front, for business, the concept has only begun to gain traction. Pulling data and functionality from different web sites and combining them to make new information from the surface doesn’t just seem compelling, it would seem necessary. So why is it taking mashups a long time to catch on in the business world? Maybe the concept is overwhelming and it’s hard to figure out what to place together. Always an issue when integrating new technical tools for the workforce.

Dion Hinchcliff has a few ideas in his latest blog posting on ZDNet’s Enterprise Web 2.0 blog. He explains what he thinks the top ten challenges with enterprise mashups are. The top five are listed below:

1. No commonly accepted assembly model.
2. An immature services landscape.
3. The splintering of widgets.
4. Management and support of end-user mashup apps.
5. Deep support for security and identity.

Many of these situations are easily solved. Although there are no commonly accepted models, the majority of mashups on the web seem to involve maps. Pioneering is something business is known for, any one company can easily make the mashups a must have for any corporate website. Perhaps simply starting with a map and all corporate sites listed, could allow a company to explain what services are offered in each location. There may be issues for a company to worry about as the technology evolves, but mashups can provide useful information, quickly, easily that outweigh the worries. A mashup has to start somewhere, why not a simple one that provides important information to your customers?

But with so many new collaboration tools to choose from, to say one is more valuable over another is just not easy. I’m sure many folks will be interested in discussion, Picking the Right Collaboration Tool, presented by Craig Roth, Vice President and Services Director at Burton Group. I’m sure it will be an opportunity for many participants to share their own viewpoints on mashups and other collaboration tools.