Self Organization in Enterprise 2.0 Communities: To Introduce a New Experts' Exchange Application

Web-based communities are a real example for self organisation of people. While everybody talks about Web 2.0 applications, the Enterprise 2.0 discussion runs very slowly due to several social and cultural aspects as well as the contradiction between communities without hierarchies versus well-structured companies. By analysing common things and differences of private and business communities, basic mechanisms are discovered. With SPREE – the knowledge exchange network – an Enterprise 2.0 application created by Deutsche Telekom Laboratories is investigated during the three phases of its pilot trial in the know ledge domain of recommendation. Strengths and weaknesses are analysed and recommendation, how to accompany the introduction of a thematic specific social network is given. By founding a spin-off both, the enterprise and the community track of SPREE will be continued.