More and more companies are using tools that utilize Web services, peer-to-peer networking, blogs, podcasts, and online social networks to help users connect and collaborate. While many companies allow unsanctioned use of instant messaging or departmental wikis to improve employees ability to share ideas, some companies are taking things a step further and rolling out these tools enterprise wide.

Consider Yammer, a Twitter-esque micro blogging application for the enterprise. The tools allows users to exchange short messages which are shared in a searchable knowledgebase. On the first day of launch, some 2000 organizations signed up for its service. Additional tools for the paid version even allows a company to have...