We're all loving the increasingly rich set of tools and services that exist for the (external) blogosphere. But, as many companies start to allow employees to blog internally, there is a need (and an expectation) that equivalent tools will be available - after all, much of the power and utility in blogging comes from having these extra pieces of functionality available.
Unfortunately, either much of this is not in place, or it's all being kept very quiet. So, I'm going to keep track of internal equivalents to external tools and services in this post. Please leave a comment or email me and I'll update this post. Vendors - please feel free to email me or add a comment - I'm very interested in getting quick (less than 1 hour) and focused demos. Here's my starter list:
Internal only
Updates:
After Euan's comment, I thought it might be useful to add a list of hosted services that can be used internally, but don't afford a full internal experience (which some might say isn't a bad thing !). I guess my defining tests for being a true internal service are whether or not an internal RSS feed can be accessed, and where the "install" occurs - on a single server or on multiple clients (bit of a gray area I realise, with services such as last.fm)
Unfortunately, either much of this is not in place, or it's all being kept very quiet. So, I'm going to keep track of internal equivalents to external tools and services in this post. Please leave a comment or email me and I'll update this post. Vendors - please feel free to email me or add a comment - I'm very interested in getting quick (less than 1 hour) and focused demos. Here's my starter list:
Internal only
- blogging server software
- Movable Type, Wordpress, Drupal etc
- Enterprise RSS platforms
- Newsgator Enterprise
- Attensa - [Need to schedule a demo]
- KnowNow Enterprise Syndication Solution - [Need to schedule a demo]
- social bookmarks / tagging [eg del.icio.us]
- del.irio.us - perl based, very similar to del.icio.us
- scuttle - PHP based - looks nice
- dogear - IBM pilot social bookmark service - not available outside IBM yet.
- technorati equivalent
- None
- Wikis
- Too many to list, but some that I've tried are:
- instiki
- twiki
- mediawiki
- a good list of wikis is here
- confluence [used internally by the BBC, and by us at Headshift]
- Integrated platforms
- Community Server:
- blogs, web based rss aggregator, internal blog aggregation, forums. I've been playing around with this a little, and it looks very useful.
- There's a free and only slightly limited version available that would work well for small companies as well as workgroups or departments.
- Paid for options exist, giving access to single sign on, Exchange Server connectors, load balancing, etc.
- ASP.net based, source code included.
- Elgg
- Intended for the education community, this nonetheless looks like a powerful integrated platform - blogs, tags, social networks, feeds. I'll be trying this out as well - there's a showcase site at elgg.net
- ThoughtFarmer - 'social software for intranets'. Wiki based solution that seems to cover off some of the required functionality of an intranet. Includes some social bookmarking and social discovery features.
- Lotus Connections - IBM's recently announced move into the enterprise social space. Apparently integrates social bookmarking (dogear), blogs, social discovery and communities (forums ??). [
- Intel SuiteTwo - I hesitate to add SuiteTwo into this category, as it's really a bunch of other products (Movable Type, SocialText, Newsgator, SimpleFeed) bundled together with some integration services from SpikeSource. Hard to see where the value is here.
- QEnterprise - don't know much about this - need to get a demo or more info.
- Integrated Platforms
- ThingsPrime - a 'generic Web 2.0 application server'. Don't know much about this, but Tom Routen from Thingsprime contacted me asking to be added. I've scheduled a demo, so will see what it's all about.
- blogtronix corporate - integrated blogging, wiki, social networking platform [need to schedule a demo]
- Blogging Client
- ecto, blogjet, performancing for firefox, Windows LiveWriter
- Aggregators
- Wikis
- socialtext, Confluence Hosted
- Blogging Platforms
- typepad, wordpress, blogger,
- iUpload - have an enterprise blogging platform [need to schedule a demo]
- Social bookmarking
- del.icio.us, furl
- ConnectBeam - 'Enterprise Social Bookmarking'. A platform for social bookmarking and tagging that can be used as an externally hosted service, but also can be deployed internally as an appliance. Also bolts on social discovery/expertise location.
- Collaborative news / music
Updates:
After Euan's comment, I thought it might be useful to add a list of hosted services that can be used internally, but don't afford a full internal experience (which some might say isn't a bad thing !). I guess my defining tests for being a true internal service are whether or not an internal RSS feed can be accessed, and where the "install" occurs - on a single server or on multiple clients (bit of a gray area I realise, with services such as last.fm)
- 29th March 2006 - added Cogenz at Niall Cook's suggestion
- 4th April - added Blogtronix
- 23rd April - added Community Server
- 17th May - added elgg
- 30th June - added ConnectBeam
- 13th August - moved Cogenz down to list of external tools that work internally
- 29th November - added ThingsPrime.
- 27th January 2007 - updated ConnectBeam, added Lotus Connections, Attensa, KnowNow ESS, Intel SuiteTwo.
- 5th Feb - added in iUpload, and moved blogtronix to the internal platform category
- 18th Feb 2008 - some minor changes - mainly for formatting
- 10th April 2008 - added QEnterprise
No mention of wikis? Confluence, Socialtext, Mediawiki all work inside the firewall.
Also Feedreader can be used as a desktop app inside the firewall as can NetNewsWire for the Mac.
Euan,
Yeah...wikis..forgot about them completely *slaps forehead*
Both Socialtext and Confluence are hosted services though, so I wouldn't necessarily include them in the internal list (and the same applies for desktop software).
So, I'm adding a second category to contain apps and services that work internally, but are external.
For internal aggregators, you might add NewsGator Enterprise Server - it's specifically designed for internal, behind-the-firewall use.
http://www.newsgator.com/enterprise.aspx
Confluence doesn't need to be hosted. That was what we used inside the firewall at the BBC.
Euan - thanks, didn't know that.
Greg - yes, another one that slipped me by !
One to add to your internal tagging list (once it releases): http://blog.cogenz.com
Thanks Niall - added.
Blogtronix
Corporate site:
http://www.blogtronix.com
Demo:
http://demo.blogtronix.net/
Profile:
http://www.techcrunch.com/2005/08/18/profile-blogtronix/
Audio:
BlogOn: Blogtronix CoFounder Vassil Mladjov on Enterprise Blogging
http://www.podtech.net/?p=191
Testimonial:
http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/2005/10/30/new-memorandum-stance-blogmatrix-impresses/
(Disclosure: I'm involved with Blogtronix.)
What is this stuff meant to deliver and how does it fit into business processes? If you're talking mature established organisations then is supposed ot be the precursor for knowledge management? If for new companies then are you talking about a business framework that incorportaes these tools?
Dennis,
It's meant to deliver better communication, better knowledge sharing, improved networks, fewer black holes of information, etc ,etc. Trying to find ways of making big companies feel like small ones in the ways that matter.
I don't think this stuff is the precursor to KM - I think it should be KM. Storing information easily, sharing it easily without needing expensive heavy processes or forcing every single person to participate. Allowing people to access information in a way that makes sense to them (RSS feeds, email, browser, etc).
See my post on social media for some other reasons why these tools should be used within companies
RSS ENTERPRISE
Knownow
Attensa
http://attensa.typepad.com/attensa/2006/07/attensa_and_kno.html
RSS NEWSMASTERING (Public RSS Reader - news stream)
HitSyndicaat or MySyndicaat
http://www.hitsyndicaat.com/
reblogger
http://www.seodata.com/reBlogger_Website-based_Aggregator/rt-8_default.aspx
FEED/OPML DIRECTORY
bb:library
http://libraryclips.blogsome.com/2006/06/09/blogbridge-library-diy-feed-portal/
MEMEDIGGER
crispynews
http://www.crispynews.com/
pligg
http://www.pligg.com/
see more: http://libraryclips.blogsome.com/2006/04/18/open-source-memedigger/
Anu,
Just to be correct, could you move Cogenz down into the "Externally hosted that can work internally" list?
Also just added a link to your list on the emerging "enterprise 2.0" page on Wikipedia.
Niall
Niall,
No probs - done. And thanks for the adding this page the wikipedia entry.
Hey,
We've been implementing enterpise 2.0 stuff over the last 2 years using oss socal networking applications.
Here's an example, http://www.enterprise20apps.com/blogging
These platforms are available on a SaaS model, and can be implemented behind a firewall.
Jim
Under "internal only", "integrated platforms", you could add our software: ThoughtFarmer. A screencast is available at this URL: http://www.thoughtfarmer.com/screencast/
There is an open-source wiki mod available for Community Server here: http://developer.db4o.com/wiki/About.aspx
I'm not sure if it runs with the CS2007 (it does with 2.1 for sure).
qEnterprise: All the usual stuff (blogs, tags, bookmarks, groups, profiles, messaging, etc.), plus some essential extensions for enterprise (configuarble alerts, qXtend, etc.)
http://www.qnoodle.com/qenterprise
Disclosure: I'm with the company!