Strengths

• Easy and useful for users
• User loyalty high & strong resources
• Continuous technology development
• Uniqueness, pioneer web application
• Targeted focus for expanding desired information
• Searches multiple institutions
• Open semantic web - all information not stored in one database, represents an "on ramp" to linked data world
• Ability to keep up-to-date automatically updated and make it reusable
• Can handle the rigors of data integration while maintaining accuracy and and granularity

Opportunities

• Massive distribution channels & connections locally and nationally
• Brand awareness
• Ability to generate future discoveries/research by leveraging the technological advances
• Avenue that is enhanced regardless of the current position of the economy
• Endless applications can be developed & multiple uses of collected data
• Pioneering tool for science community - new innovation

Weaknesses

• New technology - needs training and user tutorials
• Difficulty to organize within faculty values (will it be more important than Facebook or LinkedIn?)
• Skeptical user ideas on how application will function and be used
• Struggle to develop initial awareness of technology because it is so new
• Pioneering tool for science community - new innovations often received guardedly | Threats

• Competitors of other social networking sites - creating value/comfort
• Changes in the functionality of web application will affect early adopters (idea of adopting it) |

Strengths vs. Weaknesses

The VIVO project and the national networking initiative will rely heavily on the institutions who are participating in the network. Institutions will require time to organize and customize data ingest tools and display ingested information in context. Each institution will need to provide resources to inform users about VIVO, and to enable continued support for it. VIVO has the ability to update data automatically, but also allows users to modify parts of their profiles by using institutional authentication procedures. It therefore compares favorably with other social networks because the data is consistently maintained, providing accuracy and currency. VIVO's faceted search capability is also a strength, as searches return results will be tailored to the needs of each user.

A few disadvantages may result from having a pioneered a unique web application. Users are often skeptical on how the technology functions for new innovations. Many people like to observe technological advances for a length of time before using them, and would like to know the benefits of participating. As the number of social networks keeps growing, and user fatigue also increases. Businesses and organizations are starting to also participate in the development of new networking tools. This can create problems for users in terms of organizing the social networks they value and want to spend their time on.

Opportunities vs. Threats

The opportunities include brand awareness and the ability to speed along technological advances. The connection with the institution creates massive distribution channels to effectively market this new application. In addition, the social network aspect of the program continues to expand regardless of the current position of the economy. Many future applications and features can be built, depending on the ways in which a user or user group might like to use supplied content. The personalization capabilities and the ability to add resources to the existing VIVO can occur over.
In order to succeed with the adoption of VIVO, changes in the functionality of the web application will drastically affect the early adopters. One way to prevent the negative impact of this is to conduct focus groups with a small sample market. This will allow room for improvement and effective training. Another threat is the expansion of competitors, such as developers of other social networking sites. Depending on the functionalities that users value at such sites, this can occupy a user's time and commitment to VIVO. VIVO has some similarities to the typical social networking site but also differs significantly from it in many ways. It also has a competitive advantage in being able to display unique, target-specific information. Until other programs like VIVO are created the threat from other social networking tools is likely to be minimal.