As a fellow baby boomer, Denise Shiffman’s recent blog post really hit home.  She said, “Facebook is the new email.”  She wasn’t the first to make the connection.  In fact, the Scobleizer has a whole running debate here from October, 2007.  But because I know Denise, and implicitly trust her, she gets credit for getting my attention. 

As a boomer, I live on email, but as my blog readers know, I’m on Facebook now, too.  In fact, it’s about the only way that I communicate with Steve Zivanic, who created this viral campaign for very-traditional Hitachi Data Systems (HDS).  I just checked one YouTube posting of his video that reports 320,000+ downloads.  Good job Steve.  Steve’s left HDS and found a fitting home at myndnet.  He tells me they understand the value of viral marketing.

Forward-thinking companies recognize they need to connect with the next generation of energetic employees.  In order to do that, they will have to figure out how they will incorporate (not lock out) the communication tools of the Facebook generation.  One of the companies I’ve been watching is called Worklight.  They make secure widgets for social media sites like Facebook and for personal portals like iGoogle.  Their technology may be just the thing for companies that want to maintain good corporate policies and control, while speaking the language of their newest employees.  I mean, you could try faxing messages to them, but somehow, I don’t think that would work.