1. David Moses
May 2007
MBAMS 611
Knowledge Management Used With Web 2.0 and Groupware Software Technologies
Introduction
Web 2.0 technologies such as social networks, wikis, blogs, and podcasts and software
technologies such as Microsoft’s Groove can be thought of as knowledge management
technologies. Social networks may be used for knowledge mapping, knowledge sharing, and
knowledge transfer. As an example of how social networks may be used for knowledge mapping
and knowledge sharing, I will highlight IBM’s Lotus Connections software for use on a
company’s intranet. Groupware Software such as Microsoft Office’s Groove and web
technologies such as Wikis, blogs, and podcasts may be used for knowledge sharing and
knowledge transfer.
Background Information and Analysis of Social Networks
A social network refers to the “personal or professional set of relationships between
individuals. Social networks represent both a collection of ties between people and the strength
of those ties.” (www.parliament.vic.gov.au/sarc/E-Democracy/Final_Report/Glossary.htm).
Examples of internet social networking websites include linkedin.com, facebook.com, and
friendster.com.
IBM has recently created software for the use of a social networking site within a
company’s intranet. IBM’s Lotus Connections allows for the creation of user profiles,

2. communities, and blogs that will allow employees within a company a better means of
collaborating than traditional means. As stated in a press release from IBM, Lotus Connections
“facilitates the gathering and exchange of information through professional networks, provides a
dashboard-like view of current projects and connects users to like-minded communities.”
(http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/20941.wss).
Background Information on Lotus Connections For Knowledge Mapping and Knowledge
Sharing
As stated in a press release from IBM, Lotus Connections has five web 2.0
components-Activities, Communities, Dogear, Profiles, and Blogs. “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.”
(http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/20941.wss). Lotus Connections enables
employees to search for “people-based on things like the person’s name, their organization,
location, reporting structure and interests.” Additionally, with profiles there is an expertise
location engine that helps you find people within your organization that have specific
knowledge. (http://www142.ibm.com/software/swlotus/products/product3.nsf/wdocs/lcprofiles).
Another feature of profiles is the ability for employees within an organization to expand their
professional networks and maintain relationships with people that go beyond reporting structure,
industry sector and geography.

3. Another feature of Lotus Connections is communities. The communities feature of Lotus
Connections links people together who have similar interests, responsibilities, or expertise.
(http://www-142.ibm.com/software/sw-lotus/products/product3.nsf/wdocs/lccommunities).
Similarly to communities of practice (COPs) that we discussed in class, the communities feature
of Lotus Connections groups people together in self-interest groups by expertise or
responsibility. A screenshot featuring Lotus Connections is seen in Exhibit 1.
Thus the social networking software Lotus Connections enables knowledge mapping,
knowledge sharing and knowledge transfer.
Background Information on Microsoft’s Groove for Knowledge Sharing
Microsoft Office 2007 features Groove, which is a groupware software tool that
company’s may use for knowledge sharing and knowledge transfer. As evidence of the
importance that Microsoft is placing upon its knowledge sharing product, Groove, the Chief
Software Architect for Microsoft Ray Ozzie, co-founded Groove Networks which created the
first version of Groove and was acquired by Microsoft. As described on Microsoft Groove’s
product page with Groove Server 2007 “deployed in combination with Office Groove 2007
software, business teams can work together dynamically — anywhere, anytime, and with
anyone.” (http://office.microsoft.com/enus/grooveserver/HA101656461033.aspx). Teams
within an organization may now collaborate effectively by sharing knowledge “within and across
organizational boundaries.” Groove provides several tools “that can be used in a workspace to
customize the functionality of each space (for example, calendar, discussion, file sharing,
outliner, pictures, notepad, and

4. sketchpad).”(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Office_Groove). A screenshot of Groove
is pictured in Exhibit 2.
Background Information and Analysis of Wikis For Knowledge Sharing
A wiki is a website that allows people to add, edit, or remove content from the
website. An example of a wiki is the popular Wikipedia online encyclopedia. Wikis provide the
ability to “link among any number of pages. This ease of interaction and operation makes a wiki
an effective tool for mass collaborative authoring.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki).
Companies may use wikis as collaborative software within a company’s own intranet. Wikis are
often used within a company’s intranet as “internal documentation for in-house systems and
applications.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki). One positive aspect of wikis is that they “cut
through bureaucracy and make it easier for people to share information.” One negative aspect of
wikis is that “you may not know who has contributed what, and with what degree of authority
leading to possible confusion.” (http://www.braintique.com/research/mt-archives/000246.shtml).
Background Information of Blogs
A blog, which is short for a web log, is a website where entries are written in
chronological order and displayed in reverse chronological order. A blog provides commentary
on a particular subject and may be used within a company’s intranet for knowledge sharing. The
type of information that is contained on a blog is explicit knowledge which can be codified on a
blog. An example screenshot of a blog is pictured in Exhibit 3.
Background Information and Analysis of Podcasts

5. A podcast is a type of web 2.0 social media that allows people to share information by
way of a digital media file such as an MP3 media file over the internet. A podcast may be used
for knowledge sharing on a company’s intranet. The type of information that is usually entered
on a podcast is explicit knowledge which can be codified on a podcast.
Conclusion
Companies would benefit from using web 2.0 technologies within their own intranet and
using software such as Microsoft Groove for knowledge sharing, knowledge transfer, and
knowledge mapping. Examples of web 2.0 technologies that may be used for knowledge
mapping include social networking software such as IBM’s Lotus Connections. Lotus
Connections maps employees to each other by means of a search engine which includes a
expertise location engine that would allow an employee to locate someone within their
organization by level of expertise in a particular skill. Wikis, blogs, and podcasts allow for
knowledge sharing within an organization and may be utilized within a company’s intranet.
Wikis are a powerful knowledge sharing tool in that they allow anyone within an organization to
add to or edit a particular knowledge base. Blogs are a useful knowledge sharing tool since they
permit an employee within an organization to provide their own knowledge on a particular
subject that they have knowledge of. Podcasts are a good method of transferring information in
audio format for knowledge sharing within an organization. Podcasts allow an employee to
transfer knowledge in audio media file format in the case when an employee finds that he is
better able to share knowledge through a podcast than by means of a wiki or a blog.