Fifty corporate podcsts. 50,000 employee downloads in the past two months.
Though business is certainly a driver, not all IBMs podcasts are business. IBMers like Ethan Rand McCarty of IBM’s strategic communications team are podcasting on the intranet: "Ethan McCarty's Rock and Roll Podcast."
According to another insightful article by Julie Moran Alterio in the Journal News (Podcasts a hit inside IBM) IBM is podcastinga storm…
McCarty, part of IBM's strategic communications team, is one of the people helping lead IBM into the new world of blogging and podcasting.
IBM started to encourage employees to read and create the online journals known as blogs last May. Shortly after, IBM started pushing podcasts — subscription-based audio downloads that can be listened to on laptops, iPods or other MP3 players.
IBMers like McCarty are recording podcasts on the company intranet.
In addition, the investor relations department has created a podcast for the public called "IBM and the Future of..." with installments that explore how technology will affect activities such as driving, shopping, banking and online gaming.
Ben Edwards said the podcast, like the annual report that he and his colleagues create, gives investors a sense of where IBM is headed strategically.
"The podcasts offer an opportunity to communicate with our investors on a more frequent basis," Edwards said.
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All IBMers can record podcasts using the built-in microphone in their company laptops. Simple online tutorials make it easy even for novices.
One of the first podcasts was a tutorial on how to start a blog. Other podcasts are on such topics as work force diversity and career development.
At least one executive is using a podcast to replace a conference call. Tim Carroll, a vice president in IBM's supply chain, used to lead a weekly call with the 7,000 employees around the world who report to him. The phone bill for the call was hundreds of thousands of dollars a year…
Read IBM’s Podcast Guidelines(compliments of Toby Bloomberg).
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