Companies Scramble for Web 2.0

It seems many companies are scrambling to implement Web 2.0 style sites and services, but are finding that they don't have the in-house skills or the time to commit to projects.

This in itself isn't very surprising, as Web 2.0 is a relatively new take on web application development, and until recently larger companies have viewed the philosophies behind Web 2.0 as a fad that will simply go away once people stop looking. But people didn't stop looking, it didn't go away... and it kept the users happy. The earlier adopters of this new way are of course extremely relieved that it didn't go away! We now have a whole new set of tools to help us build great applications, and even the larger corporate customers are no longer afraid of Web 2.0.

Corporate blogs are now commonplace, with some of the largest companies in the world embracing open communication with their customers... Live chat features have become a standard way for customers to communicate with support staff... Collaborative development, with users taking advantage of the wisdom of the crowds, is king.

Is your company suffering from the lack of experience to actually implement the great ideas that will add to your profitability? Are you one of those developers that "quietly" add Web 2.0 style features to projects? Or are you a traditionalist, and just can't wait to see these kids with their annoying Ajax calls fall by the wayside?