You may have heard about some of the Twitter alternatives like Identica and Yammer. But the Pistachio team has identified a solid 20 applications in this space already – and undoubtedly there are more lurking in the wings. With this overabundance, it’s useful to have some sort of mental framework for organizing things – especially if you’re trying to decide which ones to evaluate for your own use.

The report breaks up the available applications into six groups: pure-play applications, enterprise-built, open source, pseudo-microsharing, integrated microsharing, and self-serve microsharing. Understanding these distinctions can help you quickly narrow down to applications that may be a good fit for your organization. The comparison charts here will help as well.

Key findings of the research here indicate that this is an area poised for rapid growth. With many organizations testing microsharing for a year or more now, we should expect case studies to appear soon. The best thing about this research is that it’s written in a way that enterprise decision-makers will understand – so if you’re trying to sell your management on the benefits (and needs) of microsharing, it’s a great tool.

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