IBM Beta Tests Bluehouse, a Business

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  wecandobiz10/06/08 Report as spam
  1

  RE: IBM Beta Tests Bluehouse, a Business "Facebook"

  This is an interesting move. All the tools IBM
  is going to offer already exist and are easy
  for a business professional to invite a
  customer to participate in.
  
  What I think LinkedIn, Xing and Bluehouse are
  missing is the tools to get those business
  professionals introduced to people they DON'T
  know, but would like to - valuable new
  connections with people who want what they
  offer. All those three are short of methods to
  broker new relationships, which is why we are
  seeing 25% month on month growth at
  WeCanDo.BIZ.
  
  Companies spend much more each year on lead
  generation and business development than they
  do virtual meetings. Why aren't the leading
  business networks doing more to supply the
  need?
  
  Ian Hendry
  CEO, WeCanDo.BIZ
  http://www.wecando.biz

•  
  jmmcgovern10/07/08 Report as spam
  2

  RE: IBM Beta Tests Bluehouse, a Business

  I think what Linked In and similar applications lack is the capacity to help business professionals articulate in clear, concrete language the specific experience, expertise, and other qualities that truly make them unique. Without that rich content, the networking capacity loses much of its value and appeal. My partners and I have created a tool that can help individuals "discover, describe, and display" this kind of content. Maybe we should be talking to IBM.
  
  Jim McGovern
  Partner, Career Advanncement Systems
  www.careeradvance.net

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  Chrisb9910/07/08 Report as spam
  3

  RE: IBM Beta Tests Bluehouse, a Business

  Jim
  
  An interesting piece but I think that maybe the business networking world is missing the point. LinkedIn, Plaxo and Ecademy (for example) ALL do the things that you suggest - they help professionals articulate what THEY do but who goes to those networks looking for suppliers?
  
  As my colleague Ian has mentioned above, if all you want to do is promote yourself and broker new contacts then there is an ample supply of tools out there to do that.
  
  The rich content is all well and good if someone can be bothered to browse or search. LinkedIn is great for recruiters for example because that is precisely what they are paid to do.
  
  Our membership is growing because we offer something different...the ability to have business leads come to you rather than you having to search them out; the capacity to do real business now without pussy-footing about spending time gaining reputation. And without the pretence that you are there to do anything other than make deals and hence money.
  
  So would I rather spend my time creating rich content self-promotion or would I prefer to be dealing in an environment where I can create business and make things happen? Well, I do both; but I do know what is giving us the increases in membership that Ian quotes.
  
  Chris Butler
  COO, WeCanDo.BIZ
  http://www.wecando.biz

•  
  ErikSherman10/08/08 Report as spam
  4

  RE: IBM Beta Tests Bluehouse, a Business

  >> Companies spend much more each year on lead generation and business development than they do virtual meetings. Why aren't the leading business networks doing more to supply the need? <<
  
  I think there are a few reasons. Many people will avoid the business networks if they think that they're going to be bombarded with marketing. That's why the networks provide a controlled communications structure, where you can't necessarily easily contact people you don't know and essentially spam.
  
  The idea is to enable business networking, which should be a lot lower key than lead generation. The networks are designed to let individuals focus on their own professional needs. It's a different angle. Just as IBM's approach is different and more along online collaboration than straight networking.

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  ianhendry10/08/08 Report as spam
  5

  RE: IBM Beta Tests Bluehouse, a Business

  Erik, fair points. But collaboration tools are
  already available. Bluehouse may win some
  market from GoToMeeting or Webex, but it's not
  somewhere to turn if you want new customers.
  And my point is, are there not more business
  professionals who want to network to win new
  customers, rather than to get GoToMeeting
  functionality somewhere else?
  
  Ian Hendry
  CEO, WeCanDo.BIZ
  http://www.wecando.biz

•  
  ErikSherman10/09/08 Report as spam
  6

  RE: IBM Beta Tests Bluehouse, a Business

  >> Bluehouse may win some
  market from GoToMeeting or Webex, but it's not
  somewhere to turn if you want new customers.
  And my point is, are there not more business
  professionals who want to network to win new
  customers, rather than to get GoToMeeting
  functionality somewhere else? <<
  
  The problem that I think business social networks have found is that, yes, people want to sell, but they don't want to be sold to. That's why there are the controls over who can contact you. People use these out of self interest, not to satisfy someone else's self interest. Now, I know it's possible to do business online, I've done it myself, but it tends to be a subtle and indirect activity when it is successful.