The key word for me in what you wrote is “tools.” Nothing will realize the potential of 2.0 dreaming until tools are put in place to make it happen. Those tools exist, in silo form.

For instance:

* Lead management tools
* Expertise collaboration tools
* Knowledge management tools
* Knowledge extraction tools
* Content management tools
* Conferencing tools

By themselves, each of these solves a function–integrated they achieve a goal. Integrated, they create a whole product that can create significant competitie advantage for companies that use them well.

My view is that this integration is the only way this goal will be achieved. The days of the monolith–of SAP and Siebel and Oracle–are winding down . . . meeting the same end as the mainframes, and for the same reason: better faster cheaper ways to achieve better results.

Sales 2.0 (and Web 2.0 and Marketing 2.0 and all the two-point-ohs that are following or will follow) is not a principle it is an action. It will not be realized through workshops but through implementations. It is not something that sales forces must learn, it is something they must be given . . . and something they must use.

Michael Fischler
SynapSell

For the record, my non-profit company does not lock us out of those sites.

The part that I’m particularly excited about is a little feature they introduced in Nov. of 2006 (still counts!) called “popouts.” You can now make your chat log “pop out” of the browser into its own small chat window. I love having instant messaging in an attractive and accessible format, without any installation, on all of the devices I use!

If a company somehow used a social network as an extension of a company blog, with employees and customers encouraged to speak honestly, it could open the door for a lot of potential learning and innovation.

A business could use FaceBook or MySpace to informally publicize meetings and events, as long as they’re not sensitive. In the case of a new product launch or change, you could essentially have a free focus group.

What about sales staff using one of these sites as a tool to reach prospective clients?

Assembly Bill 616 would require vehicles 15 years or older, with the exception of pre-1976 model cars, to undergo annual smog inspections. Current law requires eligible vehicles to undergo biennial smog inspections.

This piece of legislation would place an undue burden upon car owners simply because their vehicle is older than an arbitrary date set in law. This bill would double the cost for those vehicle owners as they would be required to submit to annual, instead of biennial, smog inspections. Additionally, the arbitrary nature of the 15 year threshold concerns me.

I have not yet seen any evidence that 15 year old vehicles pollute our air substantially more than 14 year old vehicles. Declaring all vehicles 15 years or older are guilty of being gross polluters without any empirical data is backwards and does not reflect the spirit of the law. For these reasons, I oppose AB 616 in its current form.

AB 616 passed from the Assembly on June 5, 2007 by a vote of 46 to 33. The bill is currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Again, thank you for contacting me. If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to call my office.

Sincerely,

DAVE COX
Senator, First District