IBM Lotus Connections 2.5: Planning and Implementing Social Software for Your Enterprise at Dominant Systems Book Store

The Practical, Complete Guide to Leveraging the Power of Social Networks with Lotus Connections 2.5

The first book to cover the newest version of the breakthrough product from IBM: Lotus Connections 2.5. This book includes practical techniques for building dynamic networks of coworkers, partners, and customers that promote innovation, business agility, and authoritative guidance for business and technical planning, deployment, integration, and much more. Social networking is the newest frontier in business collaboration, and IBM Lotus Connections 2.5 gives businesses the tools they need to make the most of it–easily, securely, and cost-effectively.

In this book, a team of IBM Lotus Connections 2.5 experts thoroughly introduces the newest product and covers every facet of planning, deploying, and using it successfully. The authors cover business and technical issues and present IBM’s proven, best-practices methodology for successful implementation. The authors begin by helping managers and technical professionals identify opportunities to use social networking for competitive advantage–and by explaining how Lotus Connections 2.5 places full-fledged social networking tools at their fingertips. IBM Lotus Connections 2.5 carefully describes each component of the product–including profiles, activities, blogs, communities, easy social bookmarking, personal home pages, and more. The book contains practical coverage of administering Lotus Connections 2.5 and detailed guidance of integrating and extending Lotus Connections 2.5.

Customer Reviews & Comments
I am not unfamiliar with IBM Lotus Connections, I have seen it demonstrated at many Lotus conferences and know of several local organizations that leverage the software. I understand the allure of social software, for example LinkedIn and Facebook. However, I have not looked closely at IBM Lotus Connections. After reading IBM Lotus Connections 2.5: Planning and Implementing Social Software for Your Enterprise, by Stephen Hardison, David Byrd, Gary Wood, Tim Speed, Michael Martin, Suzanne Livingston, Jason Moore, and Morten Kristiansen, I believe that I have a firm understanding of IBM Lotus Connections and, more importantly, the importance and benefits of social software within the enterprise. Contents: Foreword Acknowledgements About the Authors Chapter 1: Social Networking Concepts Chapter 2: Introducing Lotus Connections 2.5 Chapter 3: Lotus Connections Architecture Chapter 4: Deployment Planning Chapter 5: Install Planning Chapter 6: Using Lotus Connections Chapter 7: Administering Lotus Connections Chapter 8: Extending Lotus Connections to Other Applications Chapter 9: Using the Lotus Connections API Chapter 10: Plug-Ins and Widgets The authors take what I believe is a rather complex idea and software package and break it down into easy to understand concepts and procedures. Starting with a chapter on social networking, they explain the reasons for such software in the enterprise, This chapter should not be skipped, it is critical to the understanding of the rest of the book and is important to anyone even thinking about implementing social software within their organization. If you are currently having issues with acceptance of social software or wondering how to include more people in it, this chapter will help. After the introduction, we dive into Lotus Connections, but not all at once. The authors allow the reader to dip their toes into it, get used to one area, and then move deeper into the pool. It is a very effective teaching tool. Easily moving from the architecture to the planning to the installation, the reader will have no problem attempting to install Lotus Connections once those chapters have been finished. However, the authors do not stop there, they segue into using the software, administering it, and extending it in ways that you may not have considered. The end result is not only an excellent review and resource for IBM Lotus Connections but also a solid understanding of the value of social software in your organization. As I am very familiar with IBM Press, I was not worried about reading a book authored by eight individuals. The editing, flow, and voice makes it very difficult, even impossible, to discern the individuals. However, the reader is provided with a solid resource for implementing, managing, and extending Lotus Connections authored by some of the best Connections technical minds and writers at IBM. I felt that once I finished the book, I was ready to install, at the very least, the pilot version of Lotus Connections. I realize that this may be a stretch, but this book certainly arms you with the knowledge to accomplish that task. Once you have the software installed and working, there will come a time where you will want to extend it to other applications. Whether you use Lotus Notes, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office, Lotus Sametime,SocialText, or Confluence, this book covers it. If you have other needs, the chapter on the Connections API should help. While it isn't an exhaustive look at the API, it will get you started and also provide you with additional resources. Overall, IBM Lotus Connections 2.5: Planning and Implementing Social Software for Your Enterprise, by Stephen Hardison, David Byrd, Gary Wood, Tim Speed, Michael Martin, Suzanne Livingston, Jason Moore, and Morten Kristiansen, is another excellent book from IBM Press, one that demonstrates to the reader the value of social software to the organization and to the individual in general, and a deeper understanding of Lotus Connections 2.5 in particular. Disclosure: Obtained from: Publisher Payment: Free

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