2 Web or not 2 Web - What was the question?

Just the concept of Web 2.0 and the Employee 2.0 must drive the average CIO up the wall. A recent article on ATLANTA, GA, Jan 09 (MARKET WIRE) -- The growing popularity of so-called Web 2.0 sites is proportionally increasing the risk of malware attacks and data leakage for companies that allow employees to access social networking sites through corporate computers. "Web 2.0 sites are vital to those we're calling 'Employee 2.0' -- the next generation of employees entering the workforce that expect the technology they grew up with and routinely use to be part of their working environment," said Steve Sheinbaum, VP of Americas for Marshal. "While managers and senior employees might not think of text chat as a vital part of their lives, young employees probably can't live without it, which means that companies are now facing decisions about their corporate culture and security with Employee 2.0 in mind."

So where's the business rationale in all this. I'm inundated with calls to have access to this site and that technology and this latest gimmick blah blah blah! Where did the business sense go? The article above neglects to address the question - will this make the business better, will it give a better return to the shareholders?, give us competitive advantage? gives us long term sustainability?

New technology must have a place in the business fabric, but unless it serves a business purpose or addresses a business requirement, why have it. The challenge of course for the CIO and CTO, is to take that intuitive leap forward to find that reason. You have to lead from the front!