There are many drivers behind the need for the use of Enterprise Social Software:

• The effects of globalisation mean that we have to work more efficiently and cost effectively with people who may not be in the same physical location as us. For example, a production manager in Europe may need to manage a production team in China, without relocating or extensive travelling.
• Increased competition means that there is more pressure on organisations to  innovate, respond to competitive threats, or even change their business model in a short timeframe.
• The popularity of consumer social networking sites means that employees are demanding the use of similar, easy-to-use tools at work.
• "Digital Natives" have developed a culture of sharing and expression that has massive potential for use within an organisation
• The technology that supports the use social software makes it easier and more productive for people to collaborate in their time-compressed lives.

How this helps businesses be more productive and competitive?

• Social networking and user-generated content applications have changed the way we use Internet, and now these technologies are changing the way we work. They improve interaction between people and capture ad hoc information that's not easily captured by traditional applications.
• Social networking applications are people-centric, mimicking real-world social interactions that span conversations and relationships. Although the term "social networking" may sound out of place in a corporate workplace, enterprise social networking applications are optimised to collect unstructured information and connect people to each other and to relevant information. Enterprises typically use these applications to create communities for employees, partners and customers.