Chatter Represents SFDC’s Unified Move Into Social
Announced at the 2009 Dreamforce conference, Chatter represents both a collaboration application and platform. Software built on the Force.com platform will gain the collaboration capabilities. Solutions in AppExchange will be able to use profiles, real time streams, and other API’s. With a 100 customers testing out user experience, scalability, and security, Salesforce.com, moves from vaporware to beta. Some key features include:
- Aggregating streams of information. Employees can subscribe to feeds such as internal updates, social networks, and documents.
- Automating status updates. Users can receive updates from system and user generated alerts. Alerts can include documents and related links.
- Enabling secure document sharing. Chatter feeds can be searched to find relevant information. Document sharing is protected by a secure sharing model from the Force.com platform.
The Bottom Line For Customers – Chatter Represents A First Step Towards Social CRM
Customers seek solutions that bridge the gap between Enterprise 2.0 collaboration with enterprise applications. Investment in solutions like Chatter fit well with Salesforce.com’s existing list of innovative customers. Many require more in-depth social capabilities. Should Chatter be delivered in 2010, customers will win by being able to minimize the number of SaaS platforms, reduce the related costs of vendor management, and take a first step into Social CRM…
(Read the full article @ A Software Insider's Point of View)
“Facebook for Business” or “Chatter for Students” !!
Clearly, the most adept group of users [students] will benefit from Chatter; as will the universities that seek their interest and participation through out the ‘student life cycle’. Imagine the power of Chatter for Students (and Higher Ed in general) – who can now share; classes, study groups, assignment projects, social interests, curricula, career aspirations and experiences, content, research; join common groups as members of specific Colleges, departments, upperclassmen, Freshman, Sophomores, frats, sororities…… [ADD YOURS HERE] ……. in a SECURE environment that is flexible enough for personalization; all while taking advantage of a common security and data model. And, because the interface is familiar – the learning curve is about a half a minute !!!
By the way – we can explore the implications for MOBILE and iPad and eTextbooks at another time – all available immediately when Chatter becomes generally available (http://www.thehigheredcloud.com).
And what about those student graduates? Now they can have a shared platform so they can stay connected to their Alma mater and each other and all those wonderful experiences they had in school. Keeping those ‘memories’ fresh, relevant and alive will insure benefits to the individuals and the institution (think Fund Raising, Career Development). Chatter for Students or Facebook for Business – call it what you want; its a wonderful tool to engage the student from application through the entire ‘student life cycle’
Catch them while their young! The problem is that these new trends emerge every 3 to 5 years now. Facebook was just a bunch of college kids 3 years ago with a brilliant idea. Since we can’t figure out what’s next, the best we can do is build flexibility to adapt. Hence the platforms that best adapt to how people want to work will win. I’d love to know what’s next and what you think will be the next set of innovations in the next 3 to 5 years.