Microsoft's decision to fold Yammer into Microsoft's Office Division business unit indicates the company sees social networking as key to the future of its flagship software. In fact, that the company is already exploring how to integrate Yammer with Office 365 (cloud-based productivity), Sharepoint (enterprise collaboration), Dynamics (CRM), and Skype (video conferencing). And back in April, Yammer acquired a company called OneDrum, which offers software that adds synchronized file sharing and real time collaborative document editing directly to Microsoft Office.

So there you have it: a basic overview of everything Yammer offers your business. Interested? The service operates under a freemium model that delivers most of its basic features away for free, but assesses a monthly service fee for access to its advanced group or administrative controls. You'll find pricing information .

Have you already tried Yammer, or is your business using it now? Did you find it to be a worthwhile investment in time and resources? Please share your experiences in the comments section below.

Brad Chacos is a freelance technology and business writer. His work has appeared in Laptop Magazine, the Intuit Small Business Blog, Maximum PC, and elsewhere.