We are living in the world of Web 2.0, where hundreds of millions of people are connected to the Internet and millions of those people are connected on social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, and Twitter, using blogs, and posting on YouTube and Flickr. The vast amount of ways in which people can be connected online has sparked the interest of cloud computing services. Cloud computing services have been developing ways to tap into the Web 2.0 world and establish means of turning the flow of information and communication into business potential.
Social networks have become excellent tools for businesses to use when they are looking to inform customers about their services, as well as to establish means of communicating with their customers. Cloud computing services are being used by businesses to develop applications that help them improve their business operations, increase productivity, and establish a competitive edge in the marketplace. To further enhance their service offerings, customer relationship management (CRM) systems have examined the ways that people and businesses are using social networking sites. The business world has found new ways to improve how they use social networking sites and how they capitalize on the information available to them on these applications.
As a response to these new methodologies of using social networking sites to connect with customers, some cloud computing services have developed options that allow businesses to capture the information they obtain using social networking tools. For instance, one CRM platform has established a connection with Facebook that will foster a development community. The connection allows developers to marry cloud computing with Facebook to develop new business applications.
One particular aspect of the connection between Facebook and cloud computing is that developers can leverage Facebook to access social users in their development processes. This can help businesses use sales data, organize business events, and automate marketing decisions based on the data retrieved from Facebook followers. In addition, companies can create new ways for Facebook users to connect and share data. They can create applications that aide recruiting, productivity, and project collaboration. Social networkers may be able to use these tools that will allow them to share information about a job opportunity, or to collaborate with co-workers on a project.
Cloud computing can also enable businesses to access information that will support their customer service capabilities. An example of this is a connection made between cloud computing and the social networking application Twitter. Using a cloud computing customer relationship management tool, businesses can search for tweets that are related to their company. They can then capture the information that has been posted, as well as track future conversations about their company. Information from these conversations can be logged in a customized database to create customer service cases; these conversation can also help companies inform customers about products and services, as well as open doors of communication. In addition, businesses can also use cloud computing to access to existing social networks, optimize search engine tools, and connect with other businesses.
Social networks are becoming much more than simply a virtual meeting place for friends and acquaintances. Applications like Facebook and Twitter are offering businesses new opportunities to reach customers and connect with business affiliates. Businesses can benefit greatly from the connections between cloud computing services and social networking applications. From obtaining data useful for marketing and innovation, to providing better customer service, the connections between cloud computing and social networking offer many options for accessing and integrating valuable information into business practice. Information that can put a company a step above the competition.
