Equipping your organization for the social networking game.

• Author: Barnes, Nancy Dupre

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Social networking sites are currently utilized by enterprises of all sizes, regardless of for-profit or not-for-profit status. Their acceptance is changing the way individuals and organizations relate within a business context. Records and information management (RIM) professionals cannot afford to ignore the impact of social networking upon their organizations' day-to-day activities. As information technology evolves, so too must the RIM professional's skill-sets. A better understanding of broader business management principles is essential. With awareness and knowledge, it is possible to become a more educated decision maker and a more effective collaborator within the organization.

Social networking sites are becoming ubiquitous in modern organizations' operational toolkits--with many organizations developing their own tools and sites. As policies and procedures are developed for these internally created sites, RIM professionals must reach out and embrace the opportunity to have a "seat at the table" with their cohorts in the marketing, human resources, legal, and information technology departments. Although RIM professionals may not bear sole responsibility for the development or maintenance of these sites within the organization, it is imperative for them to contribute to the discussion as informed, forward-looking stakeholders. This article will focus on how organizations can prepare (internally) so these sites can be fully leveraged while maintaining a healthy respect for inherent risks.

Social Networking Defined

The advent of broadband, high-speed connectivity spawned a wide spectrum of synchronous and asynchronous communications technologies, allowing Web 2.0 services to grow and thrive. Synchronous technologies allow real-time communication and commonly take the form of wireless (mobile) or wireline telephonic platforms, as well as instant messaging and short message services (SMS or texting) types of applications.

Asynchronous technologies include e-mail and other web-based communications, including blogs and wikis. Social networking, a component of the Web 2.0 environment, may encompass both synchronous and asynchronous modalities. That is to say, social networking sites can offer a unified communications platform where users have the capability of interacting with others on a simultaneous basis. In addition to the communication capabilities, collective information gathering and project collaboration can occur within the context of a virtual (and searchable) content repository. Certainly, spontaneity and timeliness are distinct benefits in a global setting where speed-to-market remains a penultimate objective. However, it is precisely the mercurial, lightning-fast nature of cyberspace that demands a watchful and precautionary perspective.

Why Organizations Should 'Get in the Game'

As organizations consider the development of an internal social networking site, it is important to recognize that individuals from across the lifespan are becoming more attuned to the benefits of this technology. A growing and diverse user base is in place. From a business perspective, it is unwise to remain disconnected and on the sidelines.

IDC's "2008 U.S. Consumer Online Behavior Survey Report: Social Networking Behaviors" supports the idea that the online community is diverse from a demographic standpoint. Individuals of all ages are discovering the benefits of the sites, as demonstrated by the fact that 60% of online, U.S. consumers aged 13 or older used the services in 2008. Specifically, as of the end of 2008, the statistics show 47% of all individuals...