Today, almost 80 per cent of organisations already use social networking as an effective tool to communicate and engage with staff. What was once thought of as a distraction in the workplace is now regarded as a work tool. And it appears that its success is due to being more than just a platform for company communication: blogs, discussion groups, comment postings and other tools are all valuable insight gaining tools - up, down and across organisations.

Social networking has led to barriers coming down within organisations as obstacles between different levels of hierarchy disappear. There is now more co-operation and more exchanging of ideas across large and small industries due to the pro-active implementation and encouragement of networking.

However, some organisations still think that an easy option to embrace social networking is to set up an interactive page on the Internet and invite employees to join. It's apparent that this does not work as most people like to keep their work and private life separate. This is where the intranet takes centre stage. Here, interestingly, people emulate the same behaviour as home shopping: they browse, gather information, and although they might not contribute, or leave a mark, they are actively using the network.

Right-thinking employers are taking the best from social networking tools to drive engagement and boost capability. With the clever use of blogs, discussion groups, comment posting and other tools, they are gathering and sharing intelligence across organisations. And this has been proven from companies such as leading retail outlets to the bigger players within the healthcare industry. By using a range of media tools - discussion, blogs, videos, document sharing, micro-blogging - employees have the mechanics to ask questions and find answers in a visible way.

If you use Outlook 2003 or Outlook 2007 you can take advantage of the Outlook Social Connector, which connects to the social and business networks that you use most, including Windows Live, Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace. The Connector is an add-in which can easily be downloaded to start you on your journey. Once downloaded, there is a host of tools available to connect you to your favourite social network.

To connect the Outlook Social Connector to a social network, an add-in - also known as a provider - must be installed for each social network. To install a social network provider in Outlook 2003 or 2007, go to the Tools menu, then click Social Network Account Settings. Now, under Social Network Accounts, click View social network providers available online. A list of available providers appears. This list is updated with the latest social network providers. Simply click the social network that you want to add, then follow the instructions that appear. The installation might include a user license agreement. You need to review this agreement, and then click Accept to continue. You will also have the option to choose the installation folder for the provider on your computer. And after a prompt to restart Outlook, the installation is complete. You can also find and download other providers by visiting the Outlook Social Connector provider list site.

One communications giant has even created its own internal version of the online encyclopaedia. The company has found this the ideal way to share information that has been passed on by others within the group. Content includes things such as explaining acronyms, how to manage email, to soliciting ideas for projects. The front page of a topic contains information and the discussion tab behind it can contain opinion - this avoids people publishing their opinion on the information pages.

When once a note on the canteen notice board may have been regarded as sufficient to communicate company-wide news, social networking with Microsoft Outlook looks like the way ahead - if used wisely.