John Markoff wrote about Illumio in today’s NY Times. Illumio is software that combs networks looking for experts in particular topic areas. Using a reverse auction algorithm, it goes from most expert to least, seeking to find an individual to answer the question being asked. According to the Illumio blog, it works best with groups that have:
1. Formal sense of membership (e.g., an alumni association, a department within a company, etc.)
2. Inherent trust based on this membership
3. Value placed in one-one networking
4. To begin, we ask that test groups stay small first before expanding (let’s say less than 20 people)
Illumio is a new kind of social networking application. Like all social networking applications, it is built around relationships between people. However, unlike social networking applications to date which are designed to facilitate meeting people, or business networking, or recruiting, Illumio is designed to facitilate finding expertise.Â
What a clever idea! I’ve signed up for the test. I’m dying to know how well it works. Perhaps we could get a few of the VoIP bloggers out there to form a small group.
Alec Saunders is the Vice President of Developer Relations for BlackBerry make Research in Motion. This is his personal blog, with his personal viewpoints. Prior to this Alec was the CEO and co-founder of Calliflower — the easiest way to hold a meeting, online, on a conference call, or on the go. A double-decade veteran of product management and marketing, he spent nine years at Microsoft where he helped launch Windows 95, the first two versions of Internet Explorer, the Universal Plug and Play initiative, the push into home markets, opt-in email marketing and what might well go down in history as the very first direct email list ever.
