Facebook: A communication tool for IT resellers

Facebook members have established Apple groups, a Microsoft OEM group, an IBM German Business Partner group and a HP Bangladesh group. Other users have established a consumer electronic group and an electronic security surveillance group. These are only a few examples of how resellers are using the social networking site as a way to communicate with their peers locally and abroad.

The majority of information exchanged by the user groups include advice, complaints and networking for manufacturers, resellers, integrators, and end users. Facebook users see these groups as an open forum for discussion, feedback, collaboration and general chitchat.

While Facebook was founded as a social networking site for college students, more and more global businesses are leveraging the site’s ‘real time’ ability to communicate with the world around them.

According to a Gartner research paper titled: “Facebook and the Emerging Social Platform Wars” published in October 2007, Facebook is just one of many social-networking sites on the Web, but it is the only one with a credible claim to being a "social platform" (a software infrastructure that enables a range of social software solutions). Other sites, such as MySpace and LinkedIn are also evolving in this direction.

Beyond its core student population, Facebook is reaching other demographic sectors, such as technology, media and Internet businesses. According to the Facebook group reporting, many employees are from the largest and most reputable businesses are among those with Facebook sites - for example, 17,000 employees from Microsoft, 20,000 employees from IBM and 13,000 employees fromAccenture.