Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) by LongJump

Last week I touched on the concept of Enterprise 2.0 and how it describe the web-based technologies and models that are enabling companies, both big and small, to move businesses to the web in a collaborative way in an online environment that leverages some of the same notions associated with Web 2.0.

These cut across both technology and philosophical lines. From a technology perspective, these include things are interactive and dynamic user interfaces (AJAX, i.e.), on-demand applications, collaboration and productivity features. From a philosophical perspective, Enterprise 2.0, like Web 2.0 embraces ideas like openness and sharing, user-generated or contributed content, syndication and distribution as well as the use of rich media within applications.

LongJump embodies many of these technologies and concepts in its offering but more importantly tries to evolve the concept of Enterprise 2.0 into something that is more meaningful to business – cutting cost, increasing revenue and improving productivity. One of the powerful emerging trends on the Internet is the ability for companies, especially small ones, to avoid the cost associated with conventional “enterprise-style” software, focus on making money (aka revenue for those who don’t know) and better compete with the “big guys”. This business perspective may be one of the most exciting and long lasting effects of the “Enterprise 2.0” trend.

A Small Business Perspective:
Software Insider’s John Ragsdale touches on this cost-cutting phenomena in his post How Web 2.0 is Transforming Customer Service, and there are may similar stories. Unfortunately, only 11% of small businesses are using Web 2.0 technologies. In a survey performed by Capital Access examines their plight in more detail and concludes:

For many small businesses the cost of investing in online technology can be steep, but the price for falling too far behind the curve could be fatal.

This post by Keith Girard starts by rightly lamenting that “the learning curve is rapidly shifting away from [small businesses]”

By making Web 2.0 technologies accessible to small and medium-sized business from a cost, value and time-to-market perspective, LongJump is trying to deliver on some of the business benefits of Enterprise 2.0.