Web 2.0 – A Game Changer for Businesses

The adoption of Web 2.0 technologies have led businesses from around the world and across a broad range of industries to reap definite benefits, including innovation in products and services, more effective marketing, greater access to knowledge, lower cost of doing business, and most importantly higher revenues.

Successful businesses are integrating Web 2.0 technologies with the work of their employees and are also linking themselves with customers and suppliers through the use of Web 2.0 technologies.

Businesses that have integrated Web 2.0 into their daily operations have seen outstanding results in productivity and efficiency as evidenced by IBM who spent $700,000 tagging content across the business as an alternative to the traditional search. This led to a major success when the average employee saved 12 seconds per search saving IBM at least $4.5m per year.

Businesses have also used Web 2.0 technologies to collaborate with their users to share information and combine their knowledge for everyone’s benefit. Goldcorp were a company in crisis when their CEO released proprietary geological information about the company’s land to the public. Goldcorp offered a cash reward to anyone who could use this geological information to help the company locate gold on the company’s land. Thanks to Web 2.0 technologies Goldcorp located 8 million ounces of gold and attracted global talent to identify these new resources.

The revolutionary nature of Web 2.0 and its outstanding impact on global business is clear and now well established. Web 2.0 technologies form an integral part of a company’s business and from shared knowledge, reputational improvement, staff engagement and productivity to increased revenue they are certainly reaping the rewards. 

eBooks replacing the Hardcopy

With the advances in technology it is no surprise that traditional books are being replaced by their E equivalent.

I think E-learning has huge potential to bring learning to a broader community.   The speed at which technology moves means that through eBooks, e book readers and computers learning potential is enhanced.

The eBook has advantages over the hardcopy for educational learning and for leisure reading.    EBooks save money.   Textbooks for schools and university are very expensive.    It is my experience that college textbooks cost up to 100 Euro.   EBooks are more affordable as there is no printing or massive storage and transport costs involved.   The above helps to reduce the price greatly.

Storage is a huge problem for academic libraries as books take up a lot of space thus reducing the number of study spaces.   The eBook provides the solution to this problem and are also environmentally friendly.

Text books are outdated very quickly and this is very expensive and frustrating for parents and educational institutions while the eBook is easily updated.   New information can be easily downloaded on to a computer or palm-held device thereby updating the eBook speedily and cost effectively.

EBooks are very relevant to the life of today’s student.   The teaching process is as important as ever but eBooks are changing the way in which students absorb the content of the lecture.   Students are hungry for knowledge and therefore new technologies that support their learning is welcome and enhances their learning experience.

EBooks are also very relevant to the leisure reader.   I-pads and kindles are widely used for everyday reading.   It is now common to download your holiday reading material to your kindle before going on holiday thus not having to carry five or six books in a case.   This reduces flying costs.

EBooks are environmentally friendly and contribute to sustaining a healthy planet.

EBooks are a technological development that is bound to be part of the future of education and reading for pleasure as they are a great cost effective way to learn and enjoy the laterst information in an interactive manner.