Social Networks in Corporates - the benefits of networking a company

For so long the news has been full of concerns about the negative impact of social networks in the workplace. Stories about diminished productivity, embarrassing behaviour and jobseekers losing valued places have filled the press.

It is nice to see the alternative angle reported on Ragan.com today. British American Tobacco have implemented 'activity updates' on their internal network Connect. Based on Facebook's newsfeed and status update services, the new system allows employees to see what colleagues are working on at any one time.

Benefits include increased collaboration, as people previous working in silos recognise that they should be working together, deeper relationships and greater understanding of others' roles in the company.

Used effectively, social networks provide great efficiency savings for organisations large and small. Perhaps we are turning the corner and more companies will now embrace new media, rather than look for its challenges.