SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire - June 3, 2010) - A recent global survey of attitudes and adoption of collaboration technologies shows that companies perceive clear value from employee collaboration services and software. The survey, commissioned by Avanade, a business technology services provider, showed that more than 80 percent of executives believe that enterprise-wide collaboration is the key to success. At the same time, senior executives and IT decision makers are expressing specific business culture and behavioral concerns as a result of collaboration. Key findings also show that companies around the world are becoming more open to embracing new technologies and are actively emphasizing innovation and growth over cost savings.
The study, conducted by Kelton Research, surveying more than 500 global C-level executives, IT decision makers and business unit leaders in 17 countries, further shows how collaboration is impacting the enterprise. The study found that businesses are enabling greater collaboration across globalized workforces and empowering employees to solve business issues more efficiently. However, the research clearly shows that organizations must factor in both company culture and technology into a collaboration strategy.
"Collaboration technologies are changing the business culture," said Tyson Hartman, global Chief Technology Officer, Avanade. "In an age of real-time information and instant expectations, meaningful collaboration that involves both people and technology can mean the difference between success and failure. Avanade views collaboration software and services as essential to the future of the workplace. It allows companies to connect with employees, partners and customers in new ways that improve business performance."
Collaboration Drawbacks Must be Addressed
While benefits to the enterprise are evident, many respondents are still wary of new business culture issues created by greater collaboration in the workplace. For example:
- Employees may, in fact, be dodging responsibility over certain tasks because of readily available collaboration options to ask other people. More than one in three (38 percent) respondents agree that people problem solve less on their own today and instead rely on collaboration technologies to ask other people. In the U.S., the number is even higher with more than half of respondents (54 percent) agreeing that people problem solve less on their own due to collaboration technologies.
- Although the survey results indicate an increase in the rate of collaboration technology adoption, some employees claim to dread collaborating, especially across employee levels and company departments. One in four executives and IT decision-makers say they dread collaboration because of the amount of time and energy it wastes.
Clear Shift in Priorities: Focus on Innovation
Across geographies and industries, respondents are reporting a gradual shift away from cost savings as a top priority, and a marked increase in pressure they feel to innovate. This shift away from costs and toward innovation and growth is even pronounced at the executive level. Key findings include:
- In Avanade's previous market survey in September 2009, only 18 percent of respondents reported current pressure to innovate. In this survey, this number has jumped to 28 percent reporting pressure to innovate -- a 56 percent increase in respondents focusing on innovation rather than cost savings. In the U.S., the results are the same -- with 31 percent of respondents saying they face more pressure to innovate and grow today, compared to only 15 percent in September 2009.
- Nearly 80 percent of respondents say that the recent economic turmoil has caused their company to become more open to new technologies.
- In the U.S., nearly 60 percent of respondents reported that the rate of new technology adoption at their company is increasing.
- Globally, seventy-five percent of companies surveyed plan to increase the use of communications and collaboration technologies in the next year (78 percent in the U.S.).
"It is clear from company attitudes that the worst recession in decades is coming to an end. As companies proactively look for ways to innovate, collaboration is fast becoming a key tool in obtaining the ability to tap resources in varying markets to solve business issues and differentiate themselves," said Hartman.
About the Survey
The Collaboration survey was conducted by Kelton Research, an independent research firm, between February 8 to February 25, 2010, and included 538 online interviews with C-level executives, IT decision makers and business unit leaders at the top companies in 17 countries across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. For more information on this study and Avanade's collaboration expertise, please visit http://www.avanade.com.
About Avanade
Avanade provides business technology services that connect insight, innovation and expertise in Microsoft technologies to help customers realize results. Avanade's services and solutions help improve performance, productivity and sales for organizations in all industries. The company applies Microsoft expertise from its global network of consultants, drawing on the right mix of onshore, offshore and nearshore skills, which together are designed to help deliver results faster, at lower cost and with less risk. Avanade, which is majority owned by Accenture, was founded in 2000 by Accenture and Microsoft Corporation and serves customers in more than 24 countries worldwide with more than 9,700 professionals. Additional information can be found at www.avanade.com.
Avanade and the Avanade logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Avanade Inc. Other product, service, or company names mentioned herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. ®2010 Avanade Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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