Corporate Podcasting Expressway

Great news from those at Skype - impending convergence between the Internet and conventional television could mean a new dawn for easier access to fresh and more interactive video (Joost). BBC Entertainment news have summarised their (Joost’s) announcement nicely.

Joost describe their service as:

a new way to watch TV, free of the schedules and restrictions that come with traditional television. Combining the best of TV with
the best of the internet, Joost™ gives you more control and freedom than ever before - control over what you watch, and freedom to watch it whenever you like. We’re providing a platform for the best television content on the planet - a platform that will bring you the biggest and best shows from the TV studios, as well as the specialist programs created by professionals and enthusiasts. It’s all overlaid with a raft of nifty features that help you find the shows you love, watch and chat with friends, and even create your own TV channels.

My first reaction to this was: What is the difference between todays Internet experience with on-demand streaming video in a separate window and what Joost hopes to achieve? I thought about this a but more. My suggestion is that it could all be about ease of access? For example,

1. For those not familiar or confident to surf to the extreme - aka having a core competency to find stuff
(this touches on the issue of social inclusion and the potential digital divide that could happen in todays society, let alone internationally)
2. Continuing the concept of grouping content, establishing outlet channels and attracting more diverse and user built and driven content.
(what I mean by driven content is: viewers having the chance to vote and decide on what to make viewable).
3. Creating a social interchange - a kind of virtual water-cooler to share common interests and happenings.

If there was ever an application more suitable for delivering corporate value this has to be it. Convergence of traditional media delivery, new media and sharing ideas could provide corporations with applications that focus on the activity of internal departments. They could be established as channels to create engaging and valuable content for existing and potential clients. Even from an internal Human Resource (HR) perspective, there could be channel just for them - argh! - It could provide an excellent means of inducting new staff or announce promotions. A different type of e-Induction. HR could even use it to announce deadlines for staff appraisals, best practice and recruitment processes. I say this as my experience with many corporate intranets and knowledge management systems is that they all start of with wonderful intent but there are lots of examples where they just become to complex to navigate.

Does this mean that we have to wait for early adopters to prove this concept before corporations can get the confidence to use it? Unfortunately, the answer has to be maybe as we really have not seen corporate podcasting coming of age. We all live in hope for some creativity and courage for managers to start understanding the value of such web 2.o functionality.

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