InformationWeek Analytics New Research Finds Nearly 90% of Companies Have Some Form of Social Networking in Place...

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- InformationWeek Analytics, the leading service for peer-based IT research and analysis, today announced the release of its latest research report; Socially Challenged? Make Your Enterprise Social Networking Efforts Pay Off explores why, at a time when everyone seems to be friending, tweeting and linking, the vast majority of the 700+ companies we polled can't get their employees to use social networking tools for the benefit of the business. The report author, Mike Healey, is president of Yeoman Technology Group.

Research Summary:

Nearly 90% of companies have some sort of social networking in place, according to InformationWeek Analytics' recent Social Networking in the Enterprise Survey, yet attempts to get employees to blog, use wikis, participate in discussion forums or take advantage of full-scale enterprise social networks largely fail. Lack of single sign-on, integration with e-mail, tracking of user activity and connection to external social nets are key factors that keep employees from embracing internal social nets.

Findings:

• The most used function of enterprise social networking is the online directory with Facebook-style profiles (22% of survey respondents report heavy use), followed by team or company wikis (13%), company discussion forums (7%) and internal blogs (5%).
• One-third of companies surveyed don't provide employees with single sign-on to their internal systems.
• 39% of respondent don't offer any type of e-mail integration with their internal social networks.
• Only 8% of companies approach their social networking initiatives with a coordinated team from multiple disciples; most efforts are led by marketing.
• Microsoft's SharePoint is the leading enterprise social networking system, with 71% of the market; Google's sites and IBM's Lotus are the only other platforms with a sizable base.

For full access to the research data, members can download now:

http://analytics.informationweek.com/abstract/10/4754/Messaging-Collaboration/research-social-networking.html

"It seems ironic that people are so enamored of social networking in their personal lives yet so resistant to using it at work," says Lorna Garey, content director of InformationWeek Analytics. "But the reality is that, if we want people to use social networking tools to achieve business goals, we have to simplify the experience for them. Things like single sign-on and integration with e-mail would go a long way."

InformationWeek Analytics is a subscription-based service, offering peer-based technology research. Its site currently houses more than 900 reports and briefs, and includes a dedicated area where technology professionals can access complete issues of InformationWeek Magazine. More than one hundred new reports are slated for release in 2010. InformationWeek Analytics members have access to:

• The full InformationWeek Analytics library of reports
• Peer based research and analysis to guide buying and implementing decisions
• Over 20 technology and IT business categories
• New reports launched every week
• Signature reports, such as the InformationWeek Salary Survey, InformationWeek 500 and the State of Security report

For more information on our membership programs please visit: http://analytics.informationweek.com/join

About InformationWeek Business Technology Network (http://www.informationweek.com/)

The InformationWeek Business Technology Network provides IT executives with unique analysis and tools that parallel their work flow—from defining and framing objectives through to the evaluation and recommendation of solutions. Anchored by InformationWeek, the multimedia powerhouse that looks across the enterprise, the network scales across the most critical technology categories with online properties like DarkReading.com (security), IntelligentEnterprise.com (application architecture), NetworkComputing.com (networking and communications) and PlugintotheCloud.com (cloud computing). The network also provides focused content for key IT targets, such as CIOs, developers, SMBs and IT Support Managers via InformationWeek Global CIO, Dr. Dobb's, InformationWeek SMB and HDI, as well as vital vertical industries with InformationWeek Financial Services, Government and Healthcare sites. Content is at the nucleus of our information distribution strategy—IT professionals turn to our experts and communities to stay informed, get advice and research technologies to make strategic business decisions.

About UBM TechWeb (http://www.techweb.ubm.com)

UBM TechWeb, the global leader in technology media and professional information, enables people and organizations to harness the transformative power of technology.  Through its core businesses – media solutions, marketing services, and professional information – UBM TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed brands, applications, and services in the technology market. More than 14.5 million business and technology professionals (CIOs, IT and IT Support managers, Web and digital professionals, software and game developers, government decision makers, and telecom providers) actively participate in UBM TechWeb's communities. UBM TechWeb brands include: global face-to-face events such as Interop, Game Developers Conference (GDC), Web 2.0, Black Hat, and VoiceCon; large-scale online networks such as InformationWeek, Light Reading, and Gamasutra; research, training, and certification services, including HDI, Pyramid Research, and InformationWeek Analytics; and market-leading magazines such as InformationWeek and Wall Street & Technology. UBM TechWeb is part of UBM, a global provider of media and information services for professional B2B communities and markets.

SOURCE UBM TechWeb

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