Building stronger relationships with customers, improving communication and consensus among employees, increasing organizational efficiency – what does Facebook have to do with all this? It’s pretty clear that sites like Facebook and LinkedIn have given rise to a new standard of networking and communication, and businesses are now just beginning to apply Facebook’s social networking model by using secure business networking sites.

The typical Secure Business Networking (or SBN) site resides on an externally hosted platform that enables a business, nonprofit, or other organization to create a secure and private forum for communication, discussion, and data transfer among their employees. and clients. The main difference between an SBN site and a social networking site like Facebook is that all information associated with an SBN is protected within an encrypted database that can only be accessed by authorized users with unique passwords. Optionally, a password can be added to an uploaded file, for example, to ensure that it is only accessed by the intended recipients. Secure Business Networking sites provide the kind of security needed to protect confidential business information, trade secrets, or other sensitive business information, and can help businesses comply with federal regulations requiring the protection of consumer health and financial information. client.

SBN sites not only provide encrypted file storage and transfer, but also create a secure and collaborative forum for communication, problem solving and the exchange of ideas between employees and between employees and customers. Do you need to solve an urgent problem with one of your product lines? Start a discussion topic within your SBN site, invite key staff and resolve issues in near real time. It can also easily complement more traditional forms of communication by automatically sending emails to notify users when new files, messages or discussion topics are posted.

For SBN sites that are hosted externally, businesses can get up and running very quickly with their own custom site; no need to download an app, buy additional hardware, or hire IT support. It’s very similar to creating a Facebook account: in a matter of minutes you’ll be ready to go.

Secure Business Networking sites are now a real option for businesses that is secure, cost-effective and provides a level of communication that millions of Facebook users have come to appreciate. Given the tremendous growth and popularity of social networking sites, it’s no wonder that businesses have begun to take advantage of this highly flexible, multidimensional approach to communication and networking.