Blogging continues to gain traction at IBM

We are continuing to gain traction on our blogging strategy at IBM. A note went out today from a senior VP to the top executives in the corporation encouraging them to think about blogging, wikkis, content syndication etc. in their strategies. I forwarded the note on to my marketing communciatons colleagues since I'm sure the questions will start coming even more rapidly from the top asking our teams how the divisions should engage. This week alone I've been asked to speak to 5 different teams on blogging and strategy. Remember... this is my second - or it is third job! :-) (But I'm pretty lucky in that I enjoy most of the jobs I have.) Of course it didn't help lighten my load any this week that my boss resigned for an opportunity outside IBM. Eric - it's been a good few years working with you and I wish you the best!

One of the key themes we keep hearing in IBM was summed up As Irving Wladawsky-Berger (himself an IBM blogger!) notes, "this feels very much like 1995-96, the early days of the Web. Something significant is happening, and its ultimate meaning and shape haven't yet emerged. We have a unique opportunity to understand and help our clients -- and IBM itself -- leverage this phenomenon."

I've been thinking this week. IBM may not have been the first to engage in the blogging party and some have even been critical of us. But we, like a lot of our customers, have to approach blogging with a lot of thought and strategy. It's just our DNA. I think in the end, we will develop some excellent information, technology and strategies that can help a lot of our customer make good business use of the corporate blog not only external blogs but blogs with and among customers, internal blogs etc. - a true enterprize solution with a business purpose. That is what IBM does best - help our customers solve business issues and gain competitive advantage.

Thanks for checking in with me.