This book represents four years of hands-on investigation and analysis of the social networking phenomenon and the perspective of 20 years in the technology industry. When I began The Social Factor, I never imagined that in some ways the thesis of the book would be proven in the way it came together. As the book took shape, however, I began to realize some of the limitations of social networking. Despite the generous cooperation I received from a host of friends and colleagues who shared their expertise with me, I was still faced with the daunting challenge of synthesizing all that information and creating a unified manuscript that spoke with a single voice. I quickly realized that meeting this challenge would be a solitary pursuit.

As I think of those who made this book possible, I must begin with my dear friend and IBM^® vice president Gina Poole, who gathered talent and resources to produce a wealth of real-world content for the chapters on social innovation and social ideation. Gina’s team of gifted collaborators included Jean Francois Arseneault, Paul Baffes, John E. Boyer, Jeanette L. Browning, Sacha Chua, Liam Cleaver, Anna Dreyzin, Jane Harper, Jean Staten Healy, Ian Hughes, Sunil Jain, Mary Keough, Aaron Kim, Wolfgang Kulhanek, Kristine Lawas, Bernie Michalik, Jeanne Murray, Jennifer A. Okimoto, Younghee Overly, Rajani Ramkaran, Delphine Remy-Boutang, Karl Roche, Joshua Scribner, Rawn Shah, Madhumalti Sharma, Ian Smith, Pete Ward, and Todd Watson.

Jon Iwata, IBM senior vice president, marketing and communications, offered his insights on the transformational power of social networking in the corporate setting, including the impact of the Jam model.

I have been lucky to be associated with a multitude of other technology leaders at IBM, many of whom I got to know during my tenure as vice president of the IBM Technology Adoption Program (TAP). Bill Bodin, Brian Goodman, and Dave Newbold are three of these leaders, and each offered the depth of their experience for the benefit of readers of The Social Factor.

I also want to thank my friend and trusted advisor Nick Donofrio, retired IBM executive vice president and technology industry visionary. Nick graciously provided an extensive interview regarding the strategic importance of social networking, along with thoughtful guidance as the manuscript first began taking shape. I also want to thank IBM senior vice president Steve Mills, who was also among those interviewed for current trends and experiences with social networking.

Other colleagues who provided the benefit of their experiences included Boas Betzler, Christopher Douglass, Reed Mullen, Michael Roche, and Laurisa Rodriguez.

When I visited with Mahesh Paradkar and his team at IBM India last year, I realized I was looking at a living example of the power of social networking. Mahesh and his team provided fascinating anecdotes for The Social Factor, along with examples of the way social networking is touching every corner of that vibrant country. Mahesh’s team of collaborators for the India content included Vishal V. Kamat, Neeti Sukhtankar, Rajkiran Guru, Kiran J. Rao, Amit Kumar, Rishi Bhargava, and Atul V. Gore.

From the academic world, Harvard professor Dr. Diego Garcia helped us understand the impact of technology on a country’s GDP. Dr. Effie Kesidou, from the Nottingham Business School (UK), described the effects of Local Knowledge Spillovers on technology initiatives in developing countries. IBM veteran and M.I.T. visiting professor Dr. Irving Wladawsky-Berger, an icon of the technology industry, offered us important insights into the cloud computing evolution, and its impact on social networking.

Other colleagues and IBM partners also provided us with real-world experiences, including Luis Benitez, Ed Brill, Keith Brooks, Carl Burnett, Heather Burns, Adam Christensen, Bryan Jager, Bob Nonnenkamp, Andy Piper, Luis Suarez Rodriguez, and John Sutcliffe. I hope I will be forgiven if I’ve forgotten anyone. Your insights and contributions are all so much appreciated.

Special thanks to my acquisitions editor at Pearson, Katherine Bull, who provided patient guidance and counsel to me; without her this book wouldn’t have happened. I also want to thank my marketing director at Pearson, Kourtnaye Sturgeon, who offered great suggestions about the title of the book, and Steve Stansel, editorial program manager at IBM Press, who graciously worked with me on a unique style for the interior of this book. Special thanks also to Ellice Uffer in IBM Press marketing for her support, and to Ginny Bess Munroe, development editor, who spent countless hours reviewing, editing, and offering suggestions about the manuscript.

Finally, I want to recognize and thank my editor, Clint Sherwood. He quickly became a contributing editor, providing just the right word or phrasing to drive home key points. At the same time he maintained order in what was—only occasionally!—a hectic editorial environment. Clint teamed up with Ryan Mellody, an incredibly talented graphic artist, to create a powerful and visually interesting manuscript.

The Social Factor is the culmination of years of personal experience in the technology industry. I couldn’t have written this book, however, without my friends and colleagues, who graciously and generously gave their time and expertise. I want to acknowledge and thank each of them for joining in the social networking conversation, and for giving my readers the benefit of their rich insights.