Cisco, The Social Experience Company?
From a technology perspective, there are lots of options in this space (in alpha order: Awareness, Communispace, HiveLive, Leverage, Lithium, Mzinga, Sparta and many more). Just having the technology is merely "ante into the game". Building out the surrounding professional consulting services (e.g., marketing, relationship/community management, app dev, and internal activities that include content, collaboration, communication, process, and analytics) will take time and Cisco will need to demonstrate the necessary non-technology competencies soon.
Then there is the question of how this relates to other Cisco SaaS/Cloud initiatives (e.g., WebEx Connect).
And after that - there's the question of - why Cisco? The same "crossing the chasm" challenge Cisco faces as it tries to repositions itself from being considered only a Unified Communications vendor to one that also is a Collaboration player also comes into play for Eos. Despite having access to senior management and internal champions - those connections alone may not be sufficient to persuade those decision-makers responsible for social media and external community efforts to "drop everything" to consider Cisco "just because" they are being used for telephony and so on.
That said - Cisco takes a long-view when moving into adjacent markets so consider this the kick-off (more or less) for a 3-5 year journey. How it navigates this market, including partner and channel programs specific to this solution area, will perhaps have a greater impact on the ultimate success of the effort that the Eos technology itself. For instance - how much does Cisco own/build vs. how much does it "package" via its partners, affiliates and surrounding Eos ecosystem.
Related Blogs
Press Release
Cisco Eos Platform Delivers Online Social Experience for Consumers, Powerful Web 2.0 Platform for Media & Entertainment Companies
Software Platform Enables Media & Entertainment Industry to Deliver More Social and Personalized Online Experiences for Branded Content
LAS VEGAS - January 7, 2009 - At the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Cisco® today announced the availability of the Cisco Eos TM hosted white-label software platform that allows Media & Entertainment companies to create, manage and grow online communities around their content. Cisco Eos is a powerful, integrated platform that integrates social networking, content management and site administration features into a single operating environment, allowing content owners to deliver immersive consumer experiences, while increasing revenue opportunities and reducing operational costs. Warner Music Group is the first entertainment company to use the Cisco Eos platform for artist sites from Laura Izibor (www.lauraizibor.com) and Sean Paul (www.allseanpaul.com).
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