Phil Wainewright, a leading commentator on ZDNet on emerging software industry trends, shares his insights on how best to leverage online communities to drive innovation. It's a great article that explains how Web 2.0 can help overcome traditional barriers to innovation, and points to best practices on how to capitalize on the innovative potential of communities:

"In today's emerging Web-connected era of business, the quest for new ideas that enhance competitive edge and deliver new sources of profitability is no longer a solitary, cloistered activity. The Web itself has become a source of breakthrough innovation in effective techniques for discovering, harnessing, and prioritzing new ideas, not only internally within an organization but also in collaboration with partners, customers, and other communities."