Businesses need right information at the right time and the ability to impart that information both to existing and new employees for training and other purposes. This ability to allow users to create content and collaborate is part of why Web 2.0 to 3.0 is becoming such a popular technology trend among businesses. 

The idea of having a centralized database of information can be too easily turned into an FAQ-like setting (which may or may not be practical for training purposes). Practically everyone has heard of Wikipedia—perhaps one of the most comprehensive wikis around. But what about a wiki that is ideal for businesses? The document management and collaboration power of Wikis simplifies information in an organization and empowers the workforce to participate, without being technologically savvy.

Wikis As An Ideal Document Management and Collaboration Tool

Content management systems such as Sitecore and Ektron come with Wiki program extensions, allowing an additional form of collaboration for users of the CMS. SharePoint is also another great way for businesses to collaborate. SharePoint is an affordable tool for small to enterprise businesses looking for online services.

Microsoft offers SharePoint Online for an impressive $5.25 per month per user through Microsoft Online Services and provides bulk discounts for enterprise customers.

Wikis are a great way for businesses to not only provide information to employees, but also for the workforce to take part in culminating knowledge and expertise into one central location. When many minds are able to come together and create ideas and solutions that can be reproduced in the future, it becomes a powerful tool that can help an organization be more united and grow from knowledge and experience.

One important element to always include in a company wiki is versioning. In the same way that many minds can create a masterpiece, so too can "too many cooks spoil the broth" as the saying goes, in which case, it is good to have a backup plan. The versioning feature offered in Sitecore and other services that provide wikis create an excellent way to not only compare past knowledge, but to roll back to previous versions if an updated version is deleted or if key information has been altered.