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What is being called 'Enterprise 2.0' and Government 2.0 is the realization that computer and communications technologies now make it possible for most corporate and government entities to be re-created into more efficient, cost effective and flexible organizations.  IT and communications companies such as IBM, Motorola and Alcatel have proposed that governments and private enterprise should now take action to make  2.0 objectives a reality.

There is a major problem achieving the vision of Enterprise 2.0

Studies have shown a pitfall to taking full advantage: in order to restructure the way organizations operate to be based on information and work flows rather than fixed methods and static organizational structures, including the constraints of physical location of people and facilities, broadband must be communicated between each individual rather than just to from centralized locations to the desktop.  In other words, information must be available in near to real-time and always so that location no longer becomes the obstacle and the benefit of location for gathering and recording direct observations is captured.

Efforts in Canada, Austria, Sweden, and other locations have shown initial promise but have met a roadblock: adoption rates of broadband have fallen after initial growth, reflecting saturation of early adopters and the difficulty of reaching less densely populated areas. (example report: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/60/4/37985619.pdf)

Additional studies show that while corporations in the U.S. now offer over 25% of their employees the option to telecommute to work 2 or more days per week, that only half of those take advantage.  Among the key reason for the gap in adoption is the concern for being out of touch with other workers, particularly with superiors who make career decisions. 

4G that provides always on personal broadband to where people live and work bridges the gap between the vision of Enterprise 2.0 and the reality.  We will discuss more details in future articles and reports.