Wiki’s Will Go The Way of Portals – Enterprise 2.0

Does everyone believe wiki’s will remain a stand alone product?

One thing that is absolutely certain about technology is that new innovation always has three fates.  The first fate is when the technology solutions become a stand-alone solution for a long time.  Now, don’t call me insane, but I visited three customers in the past year that are using DEC equipment.  And, by the way, they are purchasing new/used DEC equipment as we speak.  If you don’t like DEC, then there are other examples such as Ethernet.

The second fate is when the technology holds on as a stand-alone solution for a few years.  There are many examples of this fate.  SSL for security, EAI for applications etc.  Some people may argue that these technologies are still available as stand-alone products.  However, customers want and companies are delivering SSL products with other security and access technologies.  Also, EAI products are now bundled with web services, SOA and BPM solutions.  The ongoing value of the original technology is based bundled solutions. 

The third and final fate is when technologies just don’t make it alone.  As with the second fate, the third fate has many examples.  Recently, technologies such as Symantec Metadata failed as a stand-alone solution.  However there is clear value in this technology bundled within other solutions for the enterprise and across the web.   

Portals

If you think back only a few years, you will remember a day when portals ruled the world.  They were going to be the end all of all enterprise application, WebSphere, Web Logic, Plumtree, and a host of many others.  The following is a section from Wikipedia

                “…many companies tried to build or acquire a portal, to have a piece of the Internet market. The Web portal gained special  attention because it was, for many users, the starting point of their Web browser.”

One of the major issues with these portals is the length and scope of development.  For example, a few years ago, I worked with a large mid-west enterprise to convince them that thin client portals where going to replace the major vendors.  The CIO told me that he had 15 people working on their portal project.  Fifteen people – working on a portal!

Portals Today

Stand-alone portals have befallen the second fate of technology.  They have become a part of other technologies and bundled as a solution.  Yes, there are some stand-alone portals but a majority of vendors will tell you (and analysts) that they are no longer in the portal market.  Even though they spent millions buying portal companies, they choose to use that technology as part of a bigger solution. 

Portals and Wiki’s

As with the portal, Wiki’s will begin to see their value diminished by companies, analysts and even vendors.  Need some evidence – take a look

• If Wiki’s were real, big application vendors would have bought one or made one
• Application vendors and EAI vendors will dominate through SOA and BPM
• Wiki’s are nothing more than a good web application that someday will be built on SOA technology using existing and legacy infrastructure and applications
• Wiki’s will be the “new” front end technology for SOA applications
• CIO’s will understand wiki’s right after they standardize on one data base provider – in other words – never 

In the end, Wiki’s will need the added value of other technologies to prove their importance and even their existence.