In this month's Intelligent World our global team found what you need to cut through the noise about Internet and Communications Technology (ICT). We focus you on what you must consider, today, for your business to grow revenue and to reduce costs... now.
Topic this Month: "Internet and Communications Technology" (ICT) and Making Money
Web 2.0, social networking, Twitter, LinkedIn, cloud computing, etc., are the buzz words of the day. Every business is supposed to take advantage of them... right now. Yet the stock market is hovering around 7,000, unemployment is at 8%+, people have stopped purchasing, and suppliers are pulling back on their terms. What actionable steps should business leaders take -- today -- concerning the Internet and Communications Technology (ICT) to grow revenue and cut costs quickly?
Intelligent World's global team picked articles to explain why collaboration and Web 2.0 technologies are important. We will go through some of the main buzz words and provide you with simple definitions, as well as explain why they are important to collaboration in your company and your communication with the marketplace.
Read these articles with your business in mind. Our goal this month is to help you understand why technology and the Internet are important to your business and how it can help you become globally competitive.
Highlight News of the Month
Become a Collaborative Company 
Why It Is Important: 'Collaborating'
is not a "warm and fuzzy term"...
it's how your business will make money in 2009. The sooner your business under- stands "collaborating," the sooner your bottom line changes.
The business environment will change in at least two ways within the next 10 years. First, new social practices involving millions of people will be adopted that will “engage millions of people in effective, self-directed, socially motivated production.” Additionally, companies who start using these tools, and have “learned how to become trusted platforms for productive social practices,” will flourish.
The article argues that people behave differently when they act within a market versus when they act in social relationships. This will change the way you can engage them effectively as a business, and the resources you can use to build better relationships with them.
Click here to read the complete article.
What to Say to Customers (When You Don't Know What to Say)
Why Is It Important: How to talk to customers and prospects to get them moving forward with their purchases. Read this and go sell something.
Especially during these times, local small to medium businesses will be concerned with existing customers purchasing less, or even neglecting to purchase at all. The five methods demonstrated in this article are effective to overcome increased customer caution. The article clearly expresses the benefits of working to build those better relationships needed to reaffirm trust with your buyers and sellers.
Click here to read the complete article.
The Worldwide What? Only 41% of Small Business Owners Have Websites
Despite the popularity of the Internet in business and personal use, 59% of businesses do not have a website. Of course, many businesses are active online when they use e-mail and gather research on the Internet, but they are not what Warrillow calls Technovators – “high potential and high growth business owners for whom leveraging technology is a key aspect of their business model.”
Click here to view the source
Web 2.0 Tools: Effective, if Employees and Customers Actually Use Them
Why Is It Important: Get over being "confused" about "Web 2.0". Figure it out, now, because Web 2.0 means, "pay 10s of dollars, for capabilities that used to cost $100,000s... that allow you to do $10,000s of marketing and selling activities for basically FREE".
The nature of web collaboration has changed in the last few years. This offers huge opportunities to businesses: Efficient communication and collaboration among co-workers, and new ways to connect effectively with customers and prospects. One of the biggest challenges of deploying Web 2.0 technologies is ensuring that people in the organization, as well as customers, will use the information and new technologies.
Click here to read the complete article.
Using Web 2.0 to Connect Buyers, Sellers and Agents
Why It Is Important: Here is an example of how to make money by moving past the intimidation factor of "Web 2.0" and getting to work.
This case study illustrates how a whole industry can be affected by a free, web-based service that benefits both the consumer and the seller. Listingbook has developed a winning concept: expose listings in a collaborative environment of active buyers and agents, and increase the ability of real estate agents to sell more homes.
Click here to read the complete article.
The Creativity Agenda – What nations are the most innovative?
 Why It Is Important: Wake up, the world has caught up andit is in your neighborhood. Know your business environment. This article shows you where innovation is occurring in the world providing both ideas for you and allowing you to see what is coming at you.
This study shows that countries that search for new innovation and create an environment for it will be the most successful. These are the countries to look at innovation both to learn from and to sell to in 2009. Some of the most innovative nations currently are Denmark, Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore. The emerging global innovation model embraces a broad set of value, such as R&D, tax credits, strong levels of government, private investment, skilled work forces, openness towards international trade, and talent flows.
Click here to read the complete article.
Six Ways to make Web 2.0 Work
Why It is Important: Web applications and tools such as blogs, wikis, mashups, social networking and podcasting are being used by more organizations -- learn what they mean.
Technologies known collectively as Web 2.0 have spread widely among consumers over the past five years. Many organizations, keen to harness Web 2.0 internally, are experimenting with the tools or deploying them on a trial basis. Acceptance of Web 2.0 technologies in business is growing, encouraging new approaches that break with the methods used to deploy IT in the past. There are 6 challenges that face the widespread use of Web 2.0., read about them in the link below.
Click here to read the complete article.
Reach more Customers by Increasing Your Google Page Rank
Why It Is Important: Google ranks are to us today what the big yellow page ad was to business yesterday... and a lot less expensive, if you know what to do.
Utilizing your website to gain attention is far trickier than you may think, especially if you’re new to viral marketing. Increasing your Google “Page Rank” (a rank Google will assign to your page based on user inflows as well as the rank of the page on which your link can be found) is a great way to reach out to new people. While this seems like a surefire strategy, it requires a lot more time and patience than one would assume. This article advises that, instead of building links to the site, you work on building the site’s content as a means of legitimately building its worth. This requires time and patience, but the end result could very well make it worth your troubles.
Click here to read the complete article.
Could You be Saving Time with Cloud Hosting?
Why It Is Important: Getting ready to buy expensive hardware? Perhaps you do not have to anymore. However, it depends on your business, so you need to know about "cloud computing" but be careful right now as well.
Since about 73% of small companies aren’t even familiar with the concept of cloud hosting, chances are you could be saving time with it. Cloud hosting frees you from having to install or administer an operating system. Cloud computing is still relatively new, but like everything on the internet "new today, means ready tomorrow". It is worth looking into, as it has the potential to increase your company’s efficiency.
Click here to read the complete article.
Intro to Web 2.0: Using Blogs, RSS and Wikis in the Workplace
Why It Is Important: Web 2.0 technologies have made it much easier for us to communicate and collaborate across geographical boundaries. Learn how here.
With the use of the technologies discussed here, you will be able to keep up with business in a more organized fashion. This webpage is a blog that help explains terms that are related to Web 2.0. The author explains what blogs, wikis, and RSS feeds are. The author also includes links to different websites that allow users to develop these tools.
Click here to read the complete article.
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The Global
Perspective
It's About Collaboration... Not Information
So Execute Today And Make Money
Hey, is your bank going to be around tomorrow?
Welcome to the global, internet, economy of 2009.
So assume the fetal position in the corner of your office when staff isn't looking, or get moving.
What actionable steps should business leaders take -- today -- concerning the Internet and Communications Technology (ICT) to grow revenue and cut costs quickly?
Click here to continue reading.
ICT Scorecard
The ICT Scorecard is a quick and effective assessment of your company's readiness and capability to use Information and Communications Technology (ICT) effectively to grow revenue and reduce costs.
• Do you have the correct technology to meet all of your needs?
• Are you aware of the best-in-class services available to you?
• Have you integrated technology into your business processes?
• How are you training your internal personnel on IT?
Click here to learn more about the ICT Scorecard
Upcoming
IntellaCore
Events
Global
Competitiveness
Webinar
Friday, April 17th
12:00 PM EST
In today's globalized business environment every company must know where it stands -- is it competitive in its current markets and potentially new ones?
The Global Competitiveness Webinar, hosted by IntellaCore, will explain to you what companies are doing to innovate, to grow, and to compete in today's global, internet, economy.
It's not about "Going Global". Today it’s about confronting national and international competition in your current regional markets, while you expand sales nationally, and internationally if appropriate.
Click here to sign up and learn more about the webinar.
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