A Functional Model of Social Media and its Application to Business Intelligence

The marketing departments of the major business intelligence (BI) software vendors have been quick to associate their products with the popular term 'Web 2.0,' branding the new releases of their product suites 'BI 2.0.' This paper argues that beyond its value as a device to enhance sales and marketing, the functions typically found in Web 2.0 web sites can be usefully applied to BI applications. It explores the application and role of Web 2.0 concepts within BI applications. The paper develops a simple framework to help understand the collaboration that is afforded by Web 2.0 applications. It classifies the functions that are provided in social media platforms to foster user collaboration and contribution. The framework is then used to examine how these forms of collaboration can be used to create more effective and 'active' BI applications.