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NewswireToday - /newswire/ -
London, United Kingdom, 12/16/2008 - Guy Westlake, senior product marketing manager, Vignette EMEA, outlines his predictions for technologies and trends that are set to be big in 2009.
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The future of online engagement with customers is video and Enterprise 2.0 will take off in 2009, according to Guy Westlake, Senior Product Marketing Manager EMEA, Vignette, a global leader in Web experience management and delivery.
1. Enterprise 2.0 takes off – The idea of ‘enterprise 2.0’, or the internal deployment of Web 2.0 solutions for collaborative purposes, has been a topic of conversation for a while now, however 2009 will be the year that it really becomes a phenomenon. We’ve seen how popular and effective tools like Facebook can be in bringing people together and many businesses are now ready to use them internally to help improve collaboration and increase productivity. With internal communications tools like wikis, blogs and social networks, companies can harness employee knowledge and share it more effectively across teams and departments. By streamlining information sharing in this way, companies create opportunities to make themselves more efficient, more customer-friendly and ultimately, more profitable.
2. Life in the cloud – “Cloud computing” will continue to be a hot topic throughout next year. More vendors will offer “on-demand” solutions and we are likely to see these gaining traction with both businesses and consumers. “Cloud computing” isn’t just a buzz term; it is an important movement that is revolutionising the way in which software applications can be designed and delivered, empowering the customer and reducing costs for technology vendors. Vignette have a variety of solutions that are available “as a service” that empower businesses to deliver rapid ROI on critical online initiatives and drive additional revenue streams.
3. Web 2.0 in the financial services sector – The credit crunch has hit hard this year and banks are now looking at ways to ensure customer loyalty moving forward. The financial sector has traditionally been slow to adopt social media tools but 2009 is the year that they need to really embrace the potential of Web 2.0. Vignette expects to see more financial institutions deploying cocial media (such as wikis, blogs and forums) to improve customer service and encourage customers to interact and engage with their bank. These tools can help banks address the lack of consumer confidence in the current climate by ensuring that their customers’ online questions are answered openly in a quick and efficient manner. These tools are key to reassuring and retaining customers in troubled times.
4. Personalisation and the rise of ‘My Web’ – In the coming year there will be intense competition to grab consumers’ online mindshare and ensure they become loyal, repeat customers. Tailoring a visitor’s online experience to make it personal is a great way to attract customers to a website and give them a reason to come back. Websites like Amazon.com do this well through recommending items that might interest a user according to products that they have viewed or purchased in the past. Another example can be seen in the use of RSS feeds to deliver information of specific relevance or interest to the user directly to their inbox or homepage. Increased personalisation across the Web will lead to the rise of the concept of ‘My Web’ rather than just ‘the Web’, as the internet becomes a different experience for each individual.
5. The future of online media is video – Currently users can create and share their own multimedia content online very easily. However, this interaction is set to evolve further with consumers increasingly being able to edit, share and tag exactly what they want to, right down to sections of video clips. The increased use of online media will also make it easier for advertisers to use Web analytics to target content to their audiences according to what they are viewing, tagging, commenting on and sharing. 2009 will be about making the user experience more dynamic by making these activities a matter of course, so the challenge for organisations will be making video content available online via multiple channels and ensuring that the content is managed effectively.
6. The integrated brand experience – Increasingly people are using other channels such as Blackberrys, mobile phones and notebooks to access information while away from their desk. With this in mind, companies have started to use multiple channels to communicate with their customers so that they experience 360 degree customer service and have a pervasive but consistent image of the brand. Vignette believes that the integrated brand experience will be stronger than ever in 2009 as companies fight it out to maintain their customer base and grow it. We will see more mobile-friendly Websites and companies delivering rich experiences across multiple channels to maximise engagement with their customers.
7. Social media – what next? – Facebook and MySpace will continue to be popular consumer tools but we can expect to see social media becoming more pervasive in other areas too during 2009. We have seen how politicians such as Barack Obama have set a new standard by using social networking as a means of communication with the public. It’s therefore likely that all forms of social media will become more common in political, governmental and commercial arenas. In the next year, there will be a greater focus on advanced community solutions to help companies get the most from Web 2.0 tools and keep ahead of the competition.
8. Semantic Web - The internet gets clever – 2009 will see the Semantic Web continue to evolve, with pro-active and real-time content recommendations delivered based upon how you interact with the Web. Most Web 2.0 technologies capture data and content but don’t understand that data without human input. The Semantic Web is building on this foundation, to automatically understand the meaning of the content and how it fits in with other data across the internet. As users become more familiar with Web 2.0 features both socially and within the enterprise, this next wave of technological innovation will continue to generate interest.
About Vignette
Vignette provides software and services that deliver the Web’s most dynamic user experiences. The Vignette Web Experience brings rich media and engaging content to life for the world’s greatest brands. Vignette is headquartered in Austin, Texas with operations worldwide.
For more information:
Annie Kasmai, Lead Consultant, Catalysis PR
T: +44 (0) 207 107 2476
E: annie.kasmai[.]catalysis.co.uk.
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