Catching a few minutes with this gentleman requires advanced planning and flexibility. Ken Rabun is the CIO of Manhattan Associates and maintains a very busy pace. Not only is he the CIO of one of the most admired Atlanta companies but he is also an active participant in many community growth and professional development organizations.

When asked which technology was vying for his attention, he quickly remarked “I think social networking in business is a topic that we all need to keep on the front burner. From a business perspective I still don’t understand it and frankly, I don’t even know anyone who has a real lock on it. It’s becoming obvious that we need to get a handle on it because that’s where the young people are going. So if that’s where smart people are headed then we, as CIOs, know we are going to be called on to recommend new ideas and to assist our departments.”

Rabun talked about how his marketing associates are using social networking to reach their audience and he knows the IT department has to stay in the loop. Relationships have always been important in business but now they are being redefined differently. He went on to explain that one of his team members has over 5,000 relationships within an online community. These “friends” are not in the same place as was a “friend” in years past, but they still have some significance. “What’s the implication for how business will be done in the future? What role will IT play to support what could become a very large number of “business friends” all around the world? Will these relationships become blended with traditional relationships? “

So that’s what was at the top of the thinking list when I managed to catch up with Rabun this week. He is wide open to new ideas for things that will make a difference in business.