The hype about Web 2.0 often obscures the practical benefits of this set of technologies, applications, and concepts. Development teams have begun using Web 2.0 user interface technologies, service-oriented architecture (SOA), and Social Computing features to create sometimes startling consumer applications. But few have yet applied these ideas to enterprise applications in more than trivial ways. When they do, application development professionals will find that Web 2.0 describes the transition of the Internet from flat, static, standalone Web sites into a participative, adaptive, consumer-centric medium. Snappy Web 2.0 user interfaces are the starting point, but capitalizing on Web 2.0 will require Agile development processes and a sharp focus on service creation, application assembly, and community-based development that most IT shops do not employ today. The path to Web 2.0 for enterprise apps won't always be clear, but the technology offers big rewards, including committed customers, more productive employees, and empowered communities that increase the rate of innovation around corporate assets like products and historical data.
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