Intel CIO: Social networking a 'nascent effort for us'

Intel CIO John Johnson is busy consolidating data centers (125 or so to 75), upgrading ERP systems and refreshing PCs. But collaboration may present the most interesting ground for Intel's IT group. 

We're starting to really drive a little bit more investment in collaboration - videoconferencing, both high-end as well as PC-based videoconferencing. That helps employees interact without having to jump on an airplane as much as they have in the past.

There's also some investment in social networking capabilities that provide more collaboration capabilities for employees. We're trying to enable folks to be able to still get their work done in the way they want to but work with less travel.

[Social networking is] still kind of a nascent effort for us. The discussions with employees around the company are that they see value for the business side from these consumer-based capabilities. We're still trying to understand what's the right strategy in this space.

Johnson said that social networking will become increasingly important to IT departments as generation Y's presence grows in the workplace. 

I think without a doubt the millennials and Gen Ys are much more comfortable with social networking as an example. But I think on the other hand, we're a technology company and we have a lot of people that love technology. We get interest from all the different groups but I do think that there's a higher degree of comfort especially from the Gen Ys that are part of our mix.

What we try to do is listen to them and go experiment.