Collaboration, cloud computing and social media
Published 25 January 2010
Innovation through applications of IT is not confined to hi-tech companies. The 2008 Dell Small Business Excellence award was awarded to a low tech, UK gardening company for their applications of collaborative software and social media.
This highlights the impact which Web 2.0 technologies have on small businesses and the potential cost savings which used of social media can bring - especially timely during recession.
Mike Parsons and Mary Rose involved members of the Outdoor Industries Association in the final workshop of their Innovation course on the MSc in E-Business and Innovation to speed up knowledge exchange on a crucial area of innovation.
For the students it brought the opportunity to apply theory to practice in their presentations in active engagement with business people. For the businesses - including representatives from outdoor retailers and manufacturers - the session alerted them to the speed of change, to the opportunities and the hazards of using social media and collaborative platforms in business.
