IBM Center for The Business of Government

The Federal government’s recent establishment of the Unified Shared Services Management (USSM) office at the General Services Administration has propelled cross-agency efforts led by the Office of Management and Budget, by providing additional support to shared services efforts managed by the Department of the Treasury for financial management, and the Office of Personnel Management for human resources. State and local governments are also moving forward to take advantage of the benefits that shared services bring in terms of costs savings and improved performance.

When Twitter launched in 2006, it would have been impossible--perhaps even irresponsible--to predict its success or the ways in which people would use the platform, shape its language, and through it, change the social media landscape.  Over time, the people who used Twitter helped identify the most valuable features (hashtags, anyone?) and its most relevant fora (conferences and