A few days ago, a twitt from Luis Suarez caught my attention.  He was saying that in 2009 his “evangelist” title will lose its sense and that he would have to find something else. As a matter of fact we have to admit that the evangelization period of enterprise 2.0 is close to its end.

It’s a period when it’s about making people understand that something new exist, that it may useful. It’s also about giving rise to discussions, reflections. Hence the title. But such a period must end.

When the end comes quickly it means that the “something” made a flop. Sometimes because it didn’t bring anything, sometimes because it was to much in advance of its time. Even the greatest visionniairies are useless if they’re right too early.

When the end puts off coming, it doesn’t mean that the change in minds is coming but that the evelangelist is persevering.

And when the end comes in  reasonnable time, it means that the “something” landed at the right time and matched actual needs.

I think enterprise 2.0 is in the third situation.

All of those who, having the title of evengelist or acting as if, can confirm it. With the passing years questions were more and more precise. We started with using web 2.0 tools to end with concerns about organization, management etc… We switched from “we could do things with 2.0 tools” to “why we should to it (don’t laugh….it took take for many people to really wonder about the real purpose of things), “how to do it”, “what are the profound impacts”, “how to integrate it in a global strategy, in an HR policy”.

That doesn’t mean that the game is won. It simply means that the debate becomes more and more specialized. And that after the time of ideas comes the time of what’s essential : the enterprise. What will, according to me, imply a kind of “untechnologization” of the debate.

It tools are the ball that allows us to play a game, it’s time to focus on the rules of the game itself.

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