Blogger: Mike Gotta
Today, we formally announced our findings from the field research project on social networking conducted August-November 2008. The press release is below. Also, we are making the initial project summary document available as a free download (the link follows the press release reference). Finally, I will be conducting a live webcast today which you can attend (the link to that session is embedded in the BrightTalk clip. This webcast will occur 3:00 ET today. If your schedule is already booked, don't worry - the session will be available for playback as well. You can catch all the Burton Group webcasts on our BrightTalk channel.
Burton Group Uncovers the Realities of Social Networking in the Enterprise - MSNBC Wire Services - msnbc.com
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - Burton Group, a research and consulting firm focused on in-depth analysis of enterprise information technologies, has conducted a detailed field study analyzing social networking within the enterprise.
Almost universally, organizations participating in the study felt they were behind their competitors -- or the market in general -- when it came to internal social networking initiatives. Based on the results of this study, Burton Group concludes that such perceptions are unfounded. Many organizations are yet to make an enterprise-wide decision on social networking tools. Even in those organizations that have set a direction, many of those projects are in proof-of-concept or early stages of deployment.
Field Research Study: Social Networking Within the Enterprise
The media, blogs, and vendors are all abuzz about social networking tools, and some enterprises have started to roll them out. When discussing the topic with Burton Group clients, the rationale behind social networking initiatives often falls into one or more of the following: expertise location, community building, and talent management. In some cases, IT viewed social networking as a technology endeavor. This perspective was especially common when social networking functions were already part of existing collaboration platforms. In those situations, IT organizations felt it was sufficient to just “turn on” those features rather than look at vendor alternatives. However, even in cases where strategists had identified business and IT drivers for social networking projects, many still had a noticeable level of uncertainty regarding the business case and return-on-investment from such tools. Given this large-scale uncertainty, Burton Group initiated an in-depth field research study to help clients understand the business, organizational, and technical factors to consider when formulating social networking strategies and initiating internal projects
Burton Group Field Research Study: Social Networking Within the Enterprise
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