In an online forum recently, while discussing my book Knowing Knowledge, an individual inquired as to the barriers we need to overcome before we see individuals actively using social tools in their learning (i.e. before the notions of connectivism are dispersed into curriculum and work). I responded that the majority of individuals will start using these tools once the strength of the tools (decentralization, modularization) is replaced with a model less pure in spirit, and more inline with how many people prefer to work (i.e. centralization for reduced cognitive load). I suggested that Google is doing it with their platform. And recently IBM has released Lotus Connections: "Lotus Connections has five Web 2.0-based components -- Activities, Communities, Dogear, Profiles and Blogs -- that help business people quickly connect and build new relationships based on their individual needs. These components help users save time by making information previously qualified by others easily accessible. The pace of learning increases as users easily find and exchange ideas with experts across their organization. Since they have access to the experience of others, users can avoid making mistakes and duplicating tasks, saving time and improving the quality of their work."
There is much room for me to insert sarcastic comments on the tone of marketing hype in this article, I'll refrain by focusing on the positives of organizations being willing to adapt and adjust software/processes to our knowledge and learning needs today. It's a start. I will take issue, however, with the proclamation that it is a "first ever" integrated social platform for businesses. While not identical, Intel's Suite Two has been around longer.