Paul Chin has written an interesting overview look (The Evolution of Corporate Communications) at the evolution of corporate communications and with it the use of technology including the more recent use of RSS, podcasting and vodcasting:

"Communication mediums can be classified into two methods: the sender pushes the message to the receiver (e.g., sending an e-mail) or the receiver pulls the message from a source (e.g., reading an intranet post). In the '90s, the IT industry was abuzz with the concept of push technology, a method of delivering content to users' desktop without requiring them to actively seek it out. The technology, however, never lived up to its hype and communications fell back to old stalwarts: the intranet and e-mail.

But they have their problems too. Posting corporate communications on an intranet requires employees to access the system repeatedly because they won't know when new information will be posted."

One thing that can’t be stressed enough: as valuable as technology is, and despite the intranet’s pivotal and crucial role and value to the organization, face-to-face communications rules above all other media. Ask employees in almost any organization and in-person meetings – formal or informal with one’s manager – continues to be the single most important communications channel (non-leading question).

Therefore, with all of the focus and energy being spent on technology (which I fully support for good reason) a sound employee communications plan must also account for valuable manager communications in the form of team and one-on-one staff meetings.

Hey, I may be an intranet wonk, but I’d like to think of myself as pragmatic.