What Listening to Ten Year Olds Defining Cloud Computing Teaches Us About Social Business

You can learn a lot about cloud computing from ten year olds. And what you learn can be applied to not only cloud computing, however to social business as usual.

The truth came across the video below from a post

I to tell the truth came across the video below from a post by Michael Krigsman who credits finding the video through Read Write Web. The concept of the video is all around taking a concept that many people find hard to grasp and having 10 year olds simplify that concept. That concept is clearly cloud computing. Previously even reading on take a moment and try to explain to yourself, your spouse, loved one or pet, what cloud computing is.

Cloud computing is Internet-based computing, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices on demand, as with the electricity grid.

While the definition might make logical sense it’s however a bit difficult to in effect grasp what it means. What Accenture did is take a bunch of 10 year olds and ask them to explain and define cloud computing.

It’s easy to look at the video as just a form of viral marketing now I think there are a couple of important takeaways here that apply to more than just cloud computing.

Lot of talk about Social CRM

There’s a lot of talk about Social CRM, Enterprise 2.0, social business and the like, however do you think a 10 year old could as a matter of fact explain those things to you? I’m guessing probably not. I’m all about simplifying concepts and ideas because if a prospective client can’t understand what you’re talking about at the time it’s going to be tough to get budget for it.

Dan Roam, author of Back of the Napkin says that "he who makes the best images gets the budget," meaning, if you can simply things at that time you get the budget; and I completely agree. The at once time you’re looking at a business concept or idea, ask yourself, "could a 10 year old understand and explain this?" If the answers is "no," at that time go back and fix it until the answer is "yes."

We need to realize that the younger generation is going to be entering the workforce in the near future and this younger workforce has never experienced a world without connectivity…ever. This generation grew up on social networks, sharing information, researching things online, purchasing online, creating content and being…."social."