Socialtext delivers 4.0

Last week, Socialtext [1], the Enterprise 2.0 company, released version 4.0 of its product, which brings together a number of initiatives they have launched recently, including Socialtext Signals, which is their microblogging tool, and a spreadsheet they created in conjunction with spreadsheet pioneer Dan Bricklin [2].

Specifically 4.0 includes the ability to:

• Create collaborative groups around a project, department or area of common interest,
• Send a microblogging message to one of these groups,
• Search microblogging traffic to find nuggets of information lost in the information stream,
• Filter by group within a Signals stream,
• And see who is available (as you can with an instant messaging tool).

Socialtext CEO Eugene Lee says these tools can help increase the likelihood of collaboration and knowledge sharing inside an organization. "Socialtext 4.0 takes that an extra step forward. It allows people to circulate information, ideas and updates in a targeted way with teammates, so they can move quickly to take advantage of new opportunities."

You can purchase 4.0 as a hosted service or as an appliance you install behind the firewall. The product is also accessible on smart phones including the Blackberry, iPhone and Android phones.

A tool like Socialtext can help enterprises looking for new ways to collaborate and share information. These new tools provide the means to narrow the focus of the larger information stream and find the nuggets that are often hidden in the stream and that's a big step forward. At the same time, it provides ways to share information via blogs and Wikis around a single issue that requires more space than a microblogging tools can provide.

The video below explains how Socialtext works in a larger context:

For more information:
- see the Socialtext press release [3]

Related Articles:
Socialtext launches microblogging appliance [4]
Socialtext releases free version for up to 50 people [5]
Web 2.0 and social media continue to transform content management [6]
One on One with Ross Mayfield of Socialtext [7]