As we all know, there have been a number of useful tools that have made the transition from the consumer web to the enterprise. While a consumer web tool like Facebook can have some use within the enterprise it is not really an enterprise tool (see Enterprise 2.0 is not Web 2.0 nor is it an Oxymoron). It is a consumer web tool and very good in this role. With the explosion of the Twitter market, its time for a firm to create an enterprise version. While Twitter also can be used with an organization, it is not really an enterprise 2.0 tool. It is set up to be used on the broader web and does not have features that appeal to CIOs and make it effective within an organization. Socialcast has taken on this challenge and now provides the micro-blogging capabilities found within Twitter in a form that is optimized for enterprise use.

I recently spoke with Tim Young, the Socialcast CEO. We started with his own migration that led him to starting Socialcast. Tim first created an ERP consulting firm that primarily served the auto industry. Then he got involved in developing a social networking system for several colleges at the same time that Facebook was starting to take off. Inspired by that effort, he started Socialcast in 2005 as a firm that provided social networking platforms for companies to connect with their customers.

Living in the Los Angeles area now, many of his initial clients were record companies. Socialcast developed a number of private online communities for their fans. In 2006 the music industry faced shrinking budgets and Socialcast decided to expand its product offering with a SaaS social networking solution beginning in 2007. Their first client was Guitar Center, a national chain of music instrument stores. They used Socialcast for communication within their network of stores.

At this point, Socialcast made another move, from social networking, a crowded field, to enterprise social messaging on the Twitter model. I think this is a smart move. They announced version 2.0 at the Boston Enterprise 2.0 conference in June. This September version 3.0 will be released with increased capabilities and a new user interface. The newest features include:

Mini user profiles: highlights name, latest status post, connection, links to external services and co-workers’ contacts. Here is an example.

Worklog feature: enables users to keep track of specific tasks and project steps in a public manner using a micro-blogging format. Here is a user profile with a worklog.

Bookmarklet tool: allows employees to share status updates and Web site hyperlinks while browsing the Internet, even while not logged into the Socialcast network. Here is the Bookmarlet tool.

Suggested contact directory: provides members with a way to locate other employees with common interests based on community contributions and interactions.

The service is scalable for organizations of any size. It allows firms to keep their social messaging inside the enterprise so they do not have to worry about the wrong information accidently getting out. It provides a closed community with a common purpose to provide more focused conversations. In some ways, I think Twitter can be more effective inside the enterprise. I feel the same way about wikis and social bookmarking. Because it is a closed system, messages can be more easily monitored, managed, and accessed. Twitter lacks any management tools. Employees can find each other more easily because there is a limited set and not the whole web. Unwanted followers, spam, and extra clutter can be eliminated or minimized.

Socialcast also connects with Twitter feeds for those who are part of the organization so you can use both systems for inside and outside communication. One of their pilot candidates, NASA, had people using both Twitter and Socialcast. Socialcast also connects with a wide variety of consumer services, including Google Reader and del.icio.us, to easily pass on data from these sources. Social messaging tools like Twitter and Socialcast allow employees to more easily keep up with what is happening. It is nice to see this capability gain enterprise friendly features.