IBM's Alistair Rennie Talks Social Media Trends for 2011 - Page 2
I think you'll see more and more emphasis on redefining customer service. With the proliferation of mobile devices, we are on the cusp of a software explosion revolutionizing the way consumers interact with websites. Tools that are being used today are quickly becoming obsolete, opening the door to a new wave of technologies that drive an exceptional web experience for clients.
TR: How will social in the enterprise differentiate itself from consumer-based social media in 2011, if at?
Rennie: Social media is a channel comprised of social sites such as twitter and Facebook. We see social business as a desired end state by organizations who are applying emerging technologies to organizational, cultural and process changes that will ultimately improve business performance.
In an increasingly connected global environment, we see 'push' marketing via traditional channels, and control over brand image and brand communication as a thing of the past. A social business builds brand-equity through communities and dialogue, and drives advocacy and more sales through trusted relationships. It's really all about the people.
TR: Where are the biggest areas of growth in this space in 2011?
Rennie: By 2015, mobile IT spending will quadruple to to $250 billion. The number of software applications on mobile devices will exceed those on traditional computing platforms.
So I think Android will give Apple a run for the greatest number of software apps among the leading platforms. Already IBM has made its enterprise software available on the most number of devices in the industry. You will also see a greater degree of integration between our solutions and other collaboration environments including Microsoft.
TR: What can we expect from IBM in the social enterprise space in 2011?
Rennie: In 2011, IBM will continue to focus on helping organizations become social businesses. We're focused on helping businesses work smarter. Becoming a social business requires a shift in IT architectures, an embrace of open standards, so in 2011 we'll be very focused on collaborating with organizations to help them achieve this goal.
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