Benefits of enterprise social networking systems for high energy physics community

Abstract

The emergence of social media platforms in the consumer space unlocked new ways of interaction between individuals on the Web. People develop now their social networks and relations based on common interests and activities with the choice to opt-in or opt-out on content of their interest. This kind of platforms have also an important place to fill inside large organizations and enterprises where communication and collaborators interaction are keys for development. Enterprise Social Networking Systems (ESN) add value to an organization by encouraging information sharing, capturing knowledge, enabling action and empowering people. CERN is currently rolling out an ESN which aims to unify and provide a single point of access to the multitude of information sources in the organization. It also implements social features that can be added on top of existing communication channels. While the deployment of this kind of platforms is not without risks we firmly believe that they are of the best interest for our community, opening the opportunity to evaluate a global social network for High Energy Physics (HEP).