The huge success of Twitter has triggered a number of firms (e.g., QikCom, Yammer, and Present.ly) that now provide micro-messaging for use behind the firewall.  This is yet another example of a personal web 2.0 tool creating a market for an enterprise 2.0 version. I recently spoke with Travis VanderZanden, Founder and CEO of QikCom.  Travis and I agreed that while Twitter is a great tool for personal use, it is not designed for use inside the enterprise and does not have the security required for these conversations just like Facebook and YouTube.

Travis said that QikCom is building an application platform on top of its micro-messaging tool.  Unlike the other two competitors, QikCom is offering the basic service for free. It is also free to have administrator rights to set up, secure, monitor, and control the internal network. They offer a SaaS solution but have added tight security features and are constantly testing this to make sure it remains secure.  Security includes SSL through Verisign, Company Email Verification, and advanced IP range settings. Below is the QikCom home page for users.

The application platform, or Tab Store, is a place to purchase the business Applications or Tabs on top of the core micro-messaging service. This is where they plan to make their money.  Currently, there are three tabs but many more are in progress. They are building some themselves and are open to working with third party developers to create more. In addition, they will soon release an API that allows the integration of third-party Twitter applications into QikCom.  In some cases, users can do this and in others cases the third party Twitter application provider will have to make a few simple adjustments to work with QikCom. However, users retain the security features of QikCom and will have to login to use the Twitter applications that are transferred over.

The current QikCom Tabs include a to-do list. In this case, you can assign tasks and send out reminders through QikCom. You can see a screen shot below.

There is also a competitor monitoring Tab.  You enter the competitor’s name. QikCom will consolidate all of the information on the web about this firm and present it in one feed. Employees can review and vote on the threat level of the news. Soon employees will also be able to comment on the information and start a conversation through QikCom on the topic. You can see a view of competition Tab below.

Like some other web 2.0 tools such as wikis, I think that micro-messaging makes even more sense behind the firewall for certain applications as you get rid of the spam factor and acquire the security protection. This does replace Twitter out on the web for personal messaging or business marketing. QikCom takes a great concept and brings it safely behind the firewall with a business-focused design. It will be interesting to see what new Tabs are developed and how big the platform can grow.