What could be easier that turning on a blog for your company?  Download some open source code like Word Press, install it on a server in your corporate data center, create a nice template, and start blogging.  Turns out it can be hard.

First, the most popular blog software solution is open source.  You have to know a little bit about linux and programming to get it setup.  Second, since the software is open source when there is an issue you are often on your own.  For example, yesterday Secunia issued a security advisory for Word Press indicating that they found a ‘highly critical’ security flaw in the software.  The flaw is as of yet ‘unpatched’ – i.e. no one has issued a patch to resolve the issue.  How can you protect your investment?  You better have someone on staff who can help or hire someone to ‘manage your blog’. 

Companies often spend thousands of dollars per month paying for Yellow Page ads.  These ads are unmanaged and stay the same throughout the year.  Managed weblogs typically cost less than $1,000 per month and by their very nature are dynamic and ever changing.  Why pay more for a static ad?  Did you know more people visit Google than the Yellow Pages when hiring a lawyer?  Managed weblogs work.

Update:   New version of WordPress out now, addressing the security issue mentioned.