Unified Communications Improve Workforce Productivity and Customer Service

Top Companies Use Enhanced Collaboration to Achieve Key Business Goals


BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - June 10, 2010) -  Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS) has launched a new report that describes enterprise communications deployments that have improved internal productivity and external reputation. "Unified Communications: Improve Customer Satisfaction and Workforce Productivity" describes the strategies used by 299 organizations to convert unified communications into quantifiable business value. 

Unified Communications is a converged environment that allows people to communicate with the methods preferred by all parties, whether it be email, unified messaging, voice, video, social media, or other channels. The top 20% of organizations improved workforce productivity by 49% and customer satisfaction by 53%. In contrast, the bottom 30% of organizations saw practically no gains in workforce productivity and customer satisfaction despite making similar investments to companies that enhance business capabilities through unified communications. By comparing these groups, this research shows the combinations of technologies, people, and processes that validated investments in unified communications.

"Unified communications has been poorly defined by the market as a set of technologies rather than as a solution that aligns communications to tactical business interactions and employee preferences," said Hyoun Park, research analyst, Aberdeen. "By focusing on solutions that actually increased internal productivity and improved the external face of the company, this research focuses on implementations that provide real results to businesses."

This report provides a general overview of unified communications, behavioral descriptions of effective and underachieving solutions, and suggestions to guide businesses based on the current maturity class of their enterprise communications deployment.

A complimentary copy of this report is made available by Aberdeen Group. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?spid=30410182&cid=6506&camp=2.

Visit Research.Aberdeen.com for additional access to complimentary Information Technology Research.

About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company

Aberdeen provides fact-based research and market intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having queried more than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets, corporations turn to Aberdeen for insights that drive decisions.

As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement - Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit Aberdeen or call (617) 854-5200, or to learn more about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748.

(C) 2010 Aberdeen Group, Inc., a Harte-Hanks Company
451 D Street, Suite 710
Boston, Massachusetts 02210-1928
Telephone: (617) 854-5200
Fax: (617) 723-7897
www.aberdeen.com