I just found out about Salesforce.com’s new product offering called “Service Cloud.” This offering allows an organization to tap into the power of various social networks such as Twitter or Facebook and utilize the information generated by the users of these tools to provide both content and feedback that can be reused and reshared within a service organization and partners.

I know that was a mouthful, but perhaps this video will explain it better:

http://www.salesforce.com/servicecloud/

I have a client who has about 60 employees, running two different business units. They are using Salesforce.com to manage their clients, partners, vendors, constituants, and others.

They are now looking at adding issue management through Salesforce.com’s Case functionality and using the force.com platform to develop a timesheet and expense tracking system.

All of this is done “in the cloud”. What is Cloud Computing? This video will help explain it.

Google is building Chrome, the new web browser. Reading the comic book that Google has published that explains all the features, it is apparent that Google is creating a platform upon which all of it’s new applications can run upon. Hmm. Sounds like an operating system of sorts.

People are commenting and comparing this new browser to Firefox. To me though it is a lot more. It is the platform upon which all new Google apps will run. It is the true starting point of a web based operating environment for the masses.

Taking it a step further, I sat down and listed out for myself all the competing apps that Microsoft and Google have. If Google looks at the Internet as its operating system (actually it also has G-OS), then Microsoft is a target competitor. There are many new Google, web-based apps, that have a direct competitor in the Microsoft world. Here is my list. Comment below and add any I might have missed.

So with the Internet as the base platform, and Chrome as the system, then all the other applications just run within Chrome. There you go, a fancy new operating system. Combine this with all the other Software As a Service (SAAS) and Platform as a Service (PAAS) offerings, such as the Salesforce.com and Google combination, you are now building not only an operating system, but a complete platform to run your business on.

People know about Web 2.0 or at least have heard about it.  Well welcome to Web 3.0.  What is this?  Well, according to Marc Benioff, founder of Salesforce.com, they are:

Web 1.0 – Anyone can transact
Web 2.0 – Anyone can participate
Web 3.0 – Anyone can Innovate

These are phases in the development of the internet, but they are not distinct, seperate periods of time, they are like waves overlapping each other.  In fact, we are still transacting (Checking your checking balance online), we are participating (such as in forums or commenting on Itunes), and if you use Google Docs or a similar application then you are Innovating online.

The entire article is here  I am sure you will find this a fascinating read.