Denver Business Journal Technology Section

Web 2.0 offers small business choices, raises concerns

October 26, 2007 - by Gene Smith (general manager) of Mission Critical Systems

Fifty years ago, small-town sophistication couldn't match the big city because of unequal access to, and knowledge of, goods, services and information. Today, the Internet and other expanded communications media have leveled the playing field.

Web 2.0, second-generation Web-based hosted services and collaborative communities, has done the same for small businesses by providing global access to people, products, services and markets -- and a way to understand, absorb and act on this information (the essence of knowledge). This enables smarter, more efficient decision-making that drives business success.

People can upload as well as download information, transforming Web sites from "isolated information silos to interlinked computing platforms that act like software to the user," according to Wikipedia.

Applications span administrative, operations and marketing realms. Microsoft Office faces challenges from IBM, Google, Yahoo and Sun Microsystems -- each offering low or no-cost, Web-based document-creation and management solutions that are ever-expanding. Google, for example, is acquiring JotSpot to enrich its project management, spreadsheet and calendaring products.

While none offer the sophistication of Microsoft Office, they may provide affordable options for cash-strapped small businesses.

Such Web 2.0 networking applications as Facebook, while still chiefly social, offer global small-business connections. Another, LinkedIn, provides basic business information-sharing and networking opportunities.

Eventually, even the smallest enterprise will benefit from sophisticated worldwide business-to-business networking.

Other Web 2.0 applications include blogs for two-way communication between author and audience, and Wikis, collaborative Web sites (such as Wikipedia), where visitors can edit, update and append pages with new information.

Increasingly, such major companies as General Motors are posting blogs and developing Wikis to gather valuable feedback about present and prospective product/service offerings, and boost brand appeal and sales via collaborative networks that can spread the word.

Web 2.0 also offers a variety of rich interactive recruiting and hiring tools. For example, Jobster, LinkedIn and MySpace help job seekers and employers connect more readily and determine if a good fit exists.

Small-business owner reluctance to embrace Web 2.0 follows the same patterns as most technological advances. A learning curve exists, owners are preoccupied with day-to-day operations, and there's the sense of being overwhelmed with too much information.

Also, entrepreneurs often avoid moves they perceive will wrest control from them -- a concern when moving computer or local network-based information to a Web site. Questions about reliable access to information abound. Insecurity tends to set in.

Security, or perceived lack thereof, is a chief obstacle to Web 2.0 adoption -- even as application stability and sophistication lessen reliability and control concerns.

Some security issues just require gaining familiarity and confidence. This is similar to years ago when companies initially reluctant to email confidential documents became comfortable once they realized that firewalls and antivirus software offered protection.

Of course, ongoing vigilance is required to counter new threats -- such as cross-site scripting attacks and cross-site request forgeries currently affecting Web 2.0 applications. While technical aspects vary, the result is an attack that runs unauthorized code run within a victim's browser, where it can wreak computer havoc.

Even major Web sites using filtering software to keep users from posting unsafe content can be compromised. Two years ago, the Samy worm got past firewalls and spread to nearly 1 million My¬Space users before it was disabled. This type of threat exists, in large part, because desktop computers and Web servers were never designed to work together securely.

As Web 2.0 proliferates, so do concerns about vulnerability. Allowing users to post information requires administrators to worry about the interconnected pieces coming in from outside as well as their own Web site security.

While opinions vary about Web 2.0 security issues and threats, protection for users tends to be straightforward. Install/update antivirus and malicious code protection for Web traffic. Technology guru Gartner Inc. recommends combining antivirus software, URL filtering, application controls, Web site reputation services and safe search technologies.

Sites that allow users to post content need to check server security frequently and stay on top of warnings and fixes.

Even as Web 2.0 gains traction, technologists are trumpeting 3.0-cognitive computing designed to think and reason in a more human way (offering insights and experience that transform knowledge into wisdom).

A zdnet.com blog explained the difference between Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 like this: 2.0 can connect a rental-housing Web site with Google maps to create a useful service that shows locations of each rental listing. 3.0 will list properties based on query criteria, including a warm place to vacation, a $3,000 budget and an 11-year-old child.

As we evolve toward a more complex Web-based business world, small-business owners should proceed progressively, but identify and address potential pitfalls before making the leap.

Gene Smith is general manager of Mission Critical Systems, a Denver-based IT management firm. Reach him at gene.smith@mcstech.net or 303-383-1627.