Web 2.0 and impact on enterprise software

Like I mentioned in my last post, talks about Web 2.0 can be heard everywhere in the silicon valley. I have been thinking about what it really means (to me of course.) Fundamentally not a whole lot has changed but we can definitely see a shift in the mindset of people and their expectations from software applications. I type one word and my research process is jump started. I hate filling up forms and registering myself to get access to information and now this is possible. I just walk away from sites that "force" a specific behavior. The web has enabled the computer to behave the way I want it to. It lets me go where my mind wants to go - absolutely free flowing. Now I am spoilt and just imagine if I am asked to use an ERP/CRM system that provides a pathetic user experience. Oh yeah, they are pathetic. I have seen it before. Can you recollect how many times you are forced to do things that are not very intuitive (conveniently called workarounds in the IT world.) Do you see where I am going with this? Yes, enterprise IT systems will have to change (and they will....soon) because it would be foolhardy to expect users to "forget" their great experience with Yahoo!, Google and Flickr when they come to the office on Monday morning. Next generation consumer apps (aka Web 2.0) will force the enterprise software providers to revisit their product roadmaps!