A conference was held this week in London about VRM (Vendor Relationship Management) which I was fortunate enough to attend.

For those that don’t know VRM is concerned with all of us, our data and preferences and how we as individuals can manage this information to our benefit by controlling how other individuals, government and companies access it and what they are able to do with it. It is the opposite of CRM where our data is held by many different companies and organisations who often use this to send us stuff we don’t want. Or that’s my take on it anyway. Adriana Lukas has written a good introduction to VRM which is worth a read.

I think the aims of VRM are quite uplifting - Doc Searls (pictured above) said something like “VRM is to companies what Christmas is to children: they’ll be surprised” -  and in my mind it is as much about the opportunity for companies/ organisations as it is for individuals.

The opportunity with VRM is about how it will enable us to communicate with a whole range of organisations and companies in a much more meaningful way. And how these companies will potentially be able to use this information to our mutual benefit.

Imagine a scenario where I post some thoughts to my blog or write a tweet about my iPhone and how I wish it would let me text or email one of my address book contacts to someone else (frustratingly it does not do this. Are you listening Apple?).

Now because I have elected to share my personal data feed with Apple and because they are using VRM tools to listen to me (and millions of others) they know what we all want, can introduce this onto their product roadmap and rather than sending me the generic email about new iPhone software that we all get they can communicate more personally to me that MY issue has been addressed.

In all human relationships those that are most fruitful are based on listening, sharing and trust. Why shouldn’t we have a similar relationship with companies and organisations we choose to interact with?

For the companies adopting this it will be a big shift in the way they communicate and do business. Some won’t be able to make the journey - those with crap products or who are too arrogant for instance - which will be a good thing.

Also for government, if we all take ownership of our own data, they won’t have to worry about it and we won’t have to read stories about any more memory sticks or CD’s containing our personal information going missing.

For those that listen and embrace VRM the possibilities seem to me to be limitless. I’m sure it will happen, its just a question of when and how.