Well, sort of... The headline in the SDA Asia magazine reads Serena Software Adopts Facebook as Corporate Intranet, but Serena is instead formally encouraging and scheduling time for employees to use Facebook at work:

"Serena Software is breaking out of the corporate mould by announcing today that its 800 employees around the globe will participate each week in a company-wide program called “Facebook Fridays,” which encourages employees to find fun and personal connections in the workplace.

Each Friday, employees are granted one hour of personal time to spend on their Facebook profiles and connect with co-workers, customers, family and friends. This initiative will start today and will be rolled out in 18 countries where the company has offices."

This is intriguing. Most corporations, up to 50%, are blocking the use of Facebook. Serena is pushing the opposite:

"Serena President and CEO Jeremy Burton who is an avid user of Facebook, uses it to keep in touch with employees, friends, and business partners from wherever he is in the world—in Japan visiting customers or racing cars at Laguna Seca. He wants to bring the benefits he gains from using Facebook to his company, and allow employees to have more fun combining their personal and professional lives and is doing this by making Facebook his company’s intranet—a place where employees can find everything from a list of company holidays to the CEO’s favorite movie.

Burton believes that colleagues who get to know one another on a more personal level will work together better. The company already has more than 50 percent of its global workforce on Facebook prior to the launch of Facebook Fridays.

Burton believes that colleagues who get to know one another on a more personal level will work together better. The company already has more than 50 percent of its global workforce on Facebook prior to the launch of Facebook Fridays."

Hmmm, I’m not sure I totally agree with Burton on this one. I have encouraged my own staff to join Facebook, and I personally established the Intranet Global Forum on Facebook, but I’m not sure that establishing a formal Facebook “day” to the work week establishes a work benefit. I’m just thinking out-loud here because I’m not certain that it doesn’t establish a work benefit… it just might.

Establishing a “Facebook Friday” might benefit an organization suffering from culture problems and it could boost sales in others… The thing is, call me a skeptic, but I wonder if this has more to do with "limmiting" time spent on Facebook (we want you to use Facebook! But only for one hour, only on Fridays).

What do you think? Post your comments below.

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