Adwords will grow organically because of support through business apps such as Google Apps, Android and its growing ecosystem, YouTube and Google Earth. There is even tight integration with salesforce.com. Why Google has not purchased Salesforce is an open question for months if not years. While Google has business and monetization at its core, FaceBook is trying to morph into a more business/ sales model. The bottom line seems to be that Google because of reasons  mentioned and its deep pockets is a freight train that is impossible to stop; at least for the foreseeable future. For additional conversations visit: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2010/08/16/why-google-will-triumph-over-facebook.aspx

• According to IBM global revenue from cloud computing will jump to $126 billion in 2012 from $47 billion in 2008
• Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, recently said his company is “all in” when talking about Cloud computing
• IBM last week purchased Cast Iron, a powerful Cloud data integration provider. According to IBM: “The acquisition expands IBM’s industry-leading business process and integration software portfolio, which grew more than 20 percent in the first quarter of 2010.” This may not seem like a big deal but s/ he who controls data connectivity wins.

The Cloud delivers agility and on demand productivity. Sales always needed and continues to need up to the moment relevant information to close more deals. Opportunities happen in real-time. Responses to emerging opportunities must be swift and comprehensive in scope. Information must be accessible in the now.

Social media, including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are Cloud platforms for which business benefits have not been fully realized yet. With the advent of connectors such as Salesforce.com Chatter, this may also change. Tell us what you think.

Many think that IF they are on Twitter or some other Social Network sites, all is well. Well maybe. We must get beyond the hype of the respective brands and not just place the icons on our home page like a fashion accessory. Social Media is a communication channel. Market segmentation and targeting can be effectively implemented if we just use common business sense. We must speak directly to our audience. This means that our message should match the interests of our followers. Salesforce.com does an excellent job segmenting and targeting.

On Twitter alone Salesforce has the following Twitter Channels:

@SalesforceNews
@AppExchangeNews
@AskSalesforce
@Forcedotcom
@SalesforceDocs
@Salesforcejobs
@SalesforceOffer
@SuccessProgram
@SalesforceAPAC

Imagine the same strategy for Toyota having a Prius, Camry, Corolla, Service, Parts, Future Cars Channels… Messages match the interest and we are speaking more directly and more one to one. Traditional business rules don’t get lost with Social Commerce they get amplified.

Here is a customer service and support piece from salesforce.com:

In the salesforce.com example the integration allows for automated help via a robot then live support from a customer service rep (CSR). Client specific profile information is shared in real-time.

Beyond customer service, one can easily imagine, Google Wave connecting with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Skype users with a single logon. This has tremendous implications for cross platform collaboration and uninterrupted productivity. Share without leaving your space.

Imagine being able to find relevant information about a new prospect instantly and before making your first sales call. You can discover common bonds such as a sports team, music, favorite books and restaurants. Clearly the probability of a successful sales call increases significantly when we are able to establish and share interests.

In a similar way an existing customer who has a relationship with a new prospect can help us establish rapport and increase our success rate. Simply we can ask our client for an introduction. As we know referrals are the strongest means to new business.

Faceforce for “Appexchange complements traditional CRM data with dynamically updated personal data and photos. The integration pulls Facebook profile information into your Salesforce Account, Lead, and Contact records in real time, providing a full view of customers, prospects, and business associates.”

The LinkedIn Company Insider widget allows you to paste a Javascript into your HTML page to instantly discover relationships. Try it and also use the script for your own site.

See the LinkedIn Widget page for more information

Example HTML using the popup method:

 <html>
  <head>
  <script src="http://www.linkedin.com/companyInsider?script&useBorder=yes" language="javascript"></script>
  </head>
  <body>
  LinkedIn <span id="li"></span> is a wonderful networking tool for professionals.
  <script type="text/javascript">
     new LinkedIn.CompanyInsiderPopup("li","LinkedIn");
  </script>
  </body>
  </html>