Of all the Web 2.0 technologies, social networking represents one of the greatest changes and one of the main sources of innovation in the use of the Internet over the last few years. While social networks may have first resulted in the general public adopting new behavioural patterns (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Viadeo...) and alone represent almost ten percent of the time spent on the Web by Internet users, their reach is even more widespread than that of e-mail, and they are now pervading the very heart of business-transformation strategy.

Today, numerous business activities can benefit from the advantageous uses of social networking, which is becoming a new, cross-functional and key component of information systems: customer relations, innovation and R&D, sales and marketing, as well as HR and training.

Within the framework of this partnership, blueKiwi and CrossKnowledge have decided to collaborate in order to better integrate their solutions and thereby provide the customers they share with a more streamlined package. CrossKnowledge already offers a first series of Learning Widgets - small programmes that allow blueKiwi communities access to a range of educational content from the Knowledge Communities developed by CrossKnowledge.

Thanks to these widgets, the training managers become co-coordinators of these communities and can provide targeted, "just-in-time" training. The Knowledge Communities solution developed by CrossKnowledge integrates editorial management functions that can be shared via data streams, known as Knowledge Feeds. These feeds greatly facilitate the dissemination of new developments in the CrossKnowledge catalogue, as well as any content that learners deem to be the most popular.

"The scope for innovation in the field of social learning is vast", said Jérôme Coignard, Chief Technology Officer at CrossKnowledge. "We are delighted that this agreement will allow us to establish gateways between the formal and informal methods of learning."

"Knowledge transfer and exchange lie at the heart of social networking", said Arnaud Poujardieu, VP Strategic Alliances at blueKiwi. "It is therefore clear to us that we must collaborate in such an initiative, which takes an innovative approach to learning techniques and uses by combining simplicity and effectiveness, with the aim of adding value to the individual, as well as to the company".