Perhaps you're already aware of the media buzz surrounding online social networking services like Facebook, an online community that connects people through networks of friends for online interaction or making new friends. And, you've likely heard about LinkedIn, an online service helping professionals find and connect with one another more effectively.

The rapid membership growth of these services clearly demonstrates the inherent perceived value that's derived from simply connecting with like-minded people via these platforms. However, what's even more remarkable is that networkers quickly realize that they can search across a vast database of detailed member profiles, and easily uncover "target individuals" using topical keywords that fit their unique interest criteria.

Connecting Enterprise Talent Networks
Now, imagine multinational corporations applying this capability on a secure corporate intranet, by hosting a private platform to locate and connect their internal thought-leaders and accomplished practitioners, globally -- thereby enabling the formation and development of Enterprise Talent Networks.

Also, imagine the logical integration of these social networking systems with supplemental Web 2.0 micro-publishing, collaborative authoring, communication, and meeting technologies (such as weblog, wiki, e-mail, instant messaging, web conferencing, and then combining them with wireless data mobility infrastructure).

Analyst Commentary:
"Social network analysis has moved from an academic discipline to a critical business competence. New software tools provide real time analysis of knowledge worker networks," said French Caldwell, vice president of Gartner Research. "Who knows what and about whom is the most important knowledge for businesses trying to close a critical sale, launch a new product, or rapidly pull together a new project team."

"These solutions can better link people, processes, and information," said Mike Gotta, senior vice president at META Group. "We define expertise automation as the life-cycle management of discovering, profiling, brokering, and connecting users and teams who need to exchange know-how about a particular topic or be aware of one another's activities."

"Customers of large CRM manufacturers should however focus their attention on urging their vendors to explore the possibility of adding social networking as a feature to their salesforce automation applications," said Ian Jacobs, principal analyst, Current Analysis, Inc. "This is rightfully where the technology belongs -- and from a customer’s point of view, this would be more cost effective since it would preclude the need for licensing two distinct applications."

According to Dr. Katherine Jones, Aberdeen Group's managing director of Enterprise Applications, "nearly half of corporate spending relates directly to human capital assets, therefore sharing best practices in attracting, developing and retaining talent can make organizations both more effective and profitable."