Social Surprise, Surprise - The 451 Group Survey on Social Software

I saw an item posted a couple of weeks ago on MyCustomer.com, a site that I think I've told you has the best content on CRM in the world - literally. Its sensible, organized, devoid of crap and hype and at the same time has real substance, unlike a few sites on CRM which are becoming much to much overloaded with marketing collateral and content posted by those representing corporate agendas, rather than authentic voices. Sites like that become a slopbucket for dirty water.

Not MyCustomer.com. They have substantial depth and are cutting edge in their approach but rather rational really. They need to get ten times the number of North American readers than they already have. I forget the number. Its like 50,000 I think with 80,000 in Europe. I think.

In any case, the item was a survey/study released by the 451 Group, the market researchers (more technical than most) out of NY. It was on the state of social software vendors really and it was a survey of which software vendors were being used by customers interested in using social media & incorporating social functionality into their sites. That includes wikis, blogs, podcasts, social networks and the like. The thing that was so incredibly striking was that the vendor that was preferred by the most customers was, of all companies, Microsoft.

Yeah, Microsoft.

They had a reasonably comfortable lead over IBM and Google and even over open source and in house development, though, as always in early stages "don't know" seems to lead the pack.

Here.

Why? I'll tell you why. Sharepoint. Enterprises still love to use Sharepoint - or perhaps its convenient to use given the MS software they are using. I don't know. I just found this interesting. The other things that are interesting is that companies like BEA actually had some share at all and that open source, in house and don't know, dominate the vendors - except Microsoft. I'm going to investigate this further and let you know if I find anything. I won't let you know if I don't.

Just take a look. Nothing earthshaking. Just surprising.

Technorati : CRM 2.0, Microsoft, social software

Comments

[Syntelligence]

Facebook seems like it will eventually take over social networking, but I doubt it. Google will probably buy it first. Microsoft will always own the world, though.

[Glenn]

Paul, Back in the day when Soviet invasion of Europe was a distinct possibility, I saw a TV report of how US Air Force mechanics were being trained to make spare parts for aircraft out of anything, including tin cans.

If they can do that, I can take some of the CRM best practices and modify it for my own use. I think there's an unmet need here and I hope someone will step forward and focus on the customers' needs (e.g. people engaged in CRM implementation)

Here's a link to a post I found yesterday right after I posted my comment to your blog.It comes close to being an example (in one area)of what I'm talking about.
http://blogs.mediapost.com/email_insider/?p=654

Regards,

Glenn

[Paul Greenberg]

Hi Glenn,
I hope that what CRM at the Speed of Light does - provide a guidebook that will show you the options you have and some of the practices that make sense and some that don't. But like anything else, I wouldn't do a CRM implementation using it - as some companies have told me they were doing in past editions.

As far as the blogs and the sites in CRM go, they are what they are. Keep in mind, blogs like mine or Denis Pombriant's or Brent Leary's are not the blogs for practitioners tips. They are the blogs that cover the industry or deal with the more strategic issues. There are no blogs and few sites that actually cover the implementation side. The problem with that kind of blog would be that what's a best practice for one is program destroyer for another. So for example, I'll deal with the philosophical and strategic issues of customer engagement and define the strategies and approaches that are useful - and they will be in the blog - I don't often cover the best practices. Though I have to say, it ain't a bad idea. Contact me offline at paul-greenberg3@comcast.net and let's talk this over. If you want to.

Paul

[Glenn]

Paul,

I second your comments in the first paragraph. Most blogs discussing CRM seem to be fronts for vendors. For someone like me who already has the software, but needs info on how to overcome human performance issues, the pickin's are mighty slim.

I don't care what SAP or anyone else is doing. I'm looking for content on how to improve user satisfaction, how to improve my metrics, and how to better sell the CRM philosophy in my organization.

Where is a post dealing with the most effective way to train new hires in both the philosophy and the software? What's the best practice on how to engage middle managers on monitoring their direct reports' uses of the software?

If there's a blog out there that consistently addresses these issues rather than updating me on the latest moves that Oracle has made, then please contact me. otherwise, I hope that information is contained in CRMATSOL, 4ed.

Folks, I'm looking for actionable information. I can find actionable marketing info in marketing blogs, actionable sales information in sales blogs. But CRM blogs are just a big disappointment.

Glenn