The NYT reported today that LinkedIn does indeed plan to open up its API – sort of. Any companies looking to build applications will have to get approved by LinkedIn first. Also, they are focusing on business applications with obviously some kind of revenue sharing. Nevertheless, this is great news and will help increase adoption in the long run. I don’t believe the hype. Myspace and Facebook have had incredible growth, but are by no means taking over business networking. LinkedIn is primed for growth moving forward, and from what I understand preparing for an IPO.
Here are my top 10 LinkedIn apps I’d like to see. If you are working on any of these drop me a line as I’d love to hear about it.
- Personal CRM – Features for better managing interactions with my connections such as reminders and notes. Integration with SalesForce and other CRM systems is a must.
- Advanced search – Let’s face it, right now search on LinkedIn is pitiful at best. We need to fix this.
- Better communication tools – I have a good number of connections, but am not doing anything with them. Give me chat capabilities.
- Recruiting Platform – Referrals and job board integration. If I’m looking at a job posting on the web I’d like to find out if any of my connections know someone at the company.
- Location Intelligence – Integrate GIS and events with LinkedIn. What events are my connections going to? I’m at a conference, are any of my connections here?
- Sales Lead Generation – Do any of my connections know someone at Company X? Does Company X have a new CEO?
- Corporate Networks – Let companies enroll their employees and create semi-private social networks for key relationships such as service providers or suppliers.
- Collaboration platform – How about sharing information and documents with your connections?
- External data integration – Integrate OneSource, Hoovers, D&B and other data providers with LinkedIn.
- Group, classify and rate connections – We have all types of connections with others. Some are very valuable from a business perspective and others more personal. As our networks grow over time they become more difficult to manage. Give me the ability to better organize them.
Have any other suggestions? Send them in.
Check out the original article here.
