ConcourseConnect 1.0.1 Released
Posted by Matt Rajkowski on June 2, 2009, 3:10 PM EDT
This update is a maintenance release that improves a few items discovered in release 1.0.
ConcourseConnect
Social Business Software Getting Started
Posted by Matt Rajkowski on May 28, 2009, 10:00 AM EDT
It's time to take your business 'social' with ConcourseConnect, a new do-it-yourself social networking software platform. Taking your business 'social' is a paradigm shift in which users openly share knowledge -- it's a one-to-many community relationship in which users participate with familiar social networking features.
To get started I suggest you take a look at what ConcourseConnect does...
ConcourseConnect is Open Source
Posted by Matt Rajkowski on May 27, 2009, 3:30 PM EDT
Open Source brings a new dimension to business social software making ConcourseConnect the compelling choice for building commercial communities, social networking sites, and corporate intranets. This may just be the de facto Java Open Source platform for implementing and deploying social software and social business software. We aim to make it so and we need your help...
ConcourseConnect 1.0 Open Source
Posted by Tom Manos on May 7, 2009, 11:45 AM EDT
ConcourseConnect 1.0, our directory, community, social networking, and web 2.0 product will officially launch in a couple of days, with press releases and all the fanfare. Code will be available here and on Sourceforge before end of day tomorrow (May 8, 2009).
I want to take a minute and talk about my view of what this beast is, and why it's important.
Early Access Program
Posted by Matt Rajkowski on March 27, 2009, 3:40 PM EDT
The ConcourseConnect Early Access Program offers everyone an opportunity to access the beta version of the new ConcourseConnect social networking software. By participating in this free program, you have access to pre-release code, live preview sites, a discussion group, idea forum and issue tracker; which help you get up and running and which also provides essential feedback to the product management team. The early access program:
- Provides you with the ability to do tests of the initial version
- Provides you with the ability to demonstrate the product to prospects in order to generate interest and momentum
- Provides you with an opportunity to get familiar and ready to implement ConcourseConnect when it becomes generally available (GA)
- Provides you with live preview sites for evaluating the product
UPDATE: The Early Access Program is now closed and as a result the first version of ConcourseConnect is now available! Thanks for helping out.
Social Media and Search
Posted by Phil Kessler on March 23, 2009, 9:00 AM EDT
Search Engine results pages don't look the same as they did a few years ago. While websites still show up in the native results, the variety of of those results has increased dramatically. A typical search page may include a blog posts, Facebook links, forums, videos, postings about promotions and events, and wiki entries.
The path to optimizing a website no longer runs exclusively through meta tags and home page content. User generated content is creating a whole new world of options that search engines are using to validate their search results. By providing a variety of relevant, indexable content to the search engines, you can increase your online visibility.
Concourse Connect provides a number of options to start a community that not only provides brand promotion or customer support, but also give a whole new meaning to search engine optimization. Major search engines are indexing everything and customers are looking for you everywhere.
Recession and Social Media
Posted by Phil Kessler on March 18, 2009, 9:00 AM EDT
According to Forrester, the leading Internet marketing research company, in their latest report on the social media scene, over half (53%) of the 145 interactive marketing professionals surveyed plan to increase their social media budgets.
Why is this? Social business marketing provides a unique opportunity for businesses to use the Internet to interact with potential and exsiting customers in a much more personal way. A business can inexpensively create a community of people that want to share ideas, review businesses and products, collaborate on new ideas and tell others a little about themselves.
Concourse Connect give a business the tools to develop a community around a theme - the business. And themes create users who are passionate about it and share it with others. And that's why the recession isn't holding back saavy marketers who recognize the power of passionate communities.
Why You Shoud Be Blogging
Posted by Phil Kessler on March 16, 2009, 9:15 AM EDT
So you might be thinking-
- My customers don't know what a blog is
- I don't have the time to blog
- What would I say, anyway.
Let's take them one at a time -
My customers don't know what a blog is
You're probably right - MANY of your customers probably don't know about blogs, but SOME of them do, and for them it can be very helpful to provide timely information that they can read and maybe tell others about, in person or by creating a link to your blog.
I don't have time to blog
Time is scarce, but 10 minutes a day three times a week is all you need to produce simple messages aimed at building a Community of users around your business and inviting them to add content for the benefit of all.
What would I say, anyway
You don't have to stick to happenings in your business. Tell them about new ideas in your industry, what people are talking about in the company, your last fishing trip. The idea is to get propsects comfortable with you and your company.
Concourse Connect provides a set of easy to use tools that allow businesses to start online community building and social marketing quickly and inexpensively. Social networking has become a driving force for all kinds of businesses, large and small.