Social Networking Changes the Game: More on ‘Personal Outsourcing’
by Joe McKendrick
Over at the Informatica Perspectives site, I looked at the vendor’s evolving TechNet social community, and came to the conclusion that this is the shape of things to come, with enormous benefits both to the company and to users.
The benefits of such a community are threefold:
- The online community advances the body of knowledge in data management;
- It serves as an adjunct, live user group that helps sponsoring or facilitating companies better identify and serve customers’ requirements; and
- It provides a valuable networking environment for its members, which helps boost connectedness and career prospects.
As a former director of an international management association, and currently research consultant to several active user groups, I can testify to the power of networking and how it helps in professionals’ career advancement. There are significant rewards, both in terms of personal friendships and career advancement, to individuals that contribute their time and effort to these forums.
And, to keep things timely, affiliations with user communities can make a difference in rough-and-tumble economies such as the one we have now. The best defense a professional can have in tough economic times is a vibrant network of peers that can collaborate and share information on new opportunities across the industry. Today these communities are online, and easily accessible.
The tech sector has been very good about formulating and supporting these online professional communities, borrowing from the tradition of user groups. But how many non-tech companies have taken advantage of this abundant resource?
