Workplace Communication will Favor Real-Time Tools
Email may soon become the new snail mail, a new Robert Half Technology survey suggests. More than half of CIOs interviewed recently said real-time workplace communication tools will surpass traditional email in popularity within the next five years.
CIOs were asked, “In the next five years, do you think real-time workplace communication tools – for example, Instant Messaging, SharePoint, Yammer, etc. – will be more or less popular than email among employees?” Their responses:
- Much more popular 13%
- Somewhat more popular 41%
- The same 38%
- Somewhat less popular 5%
- Much less popular 2%
- Don’t know/ no answer 1%
Robert Half Technology outlines three benefits a transition to real-time tools could have on the workplace:
Speed – Instant messaging (IM) allows employees to have conversations at the click of a button, without opening emails or waiting for responses. IM also enables employees in different locations to have real-time conversations, thus resolving issues more quickly.
Convenience – Many programs include a host of features like IM, microblogging, forums, and document collaboration and management. This eliminates the need to switch between separate programs to communicate. Not only does this have the potential to improve efficiency, but it can increase collaboration on projects and reduce the need for meetings.
The social aspect – Enterprise social networking sites, such as Yammer or Chatter, are useful for collaboration and sharing ideas and best practices within the company. This technology also has the potential to foster teamwork and camaraderie among employees.
About the survey
The national survey was developed by Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of IT professionals on a project and full-time basis, and conducted by an independent research firm. The survey is based on more than 1,400 telephone interviews with CIOs from a random sample of U.S. companies with 100 or more employees. In order for the survey to be statistically representative, the sample was stratified by geographic region, industry and number of employees. The results were then weighted to reflect the proper proportions of the number of employees within each region.
CA Technologies Positioned as Leader
CA Technologies Thursday announced it has been positioned by Gartner in the Leaders quadrant of the Magic Quadrant for Content-Aware Data Loss Prevention. Gartner positions vendors in the “Leaders” quadrant based on their completeness of vision and ability to execute. Gartner analysts evaluated CA DLP for this report.
According to the report, “Gartner defines content-aware DLP technologies as those that — as a core function — perform content inspection of data at rest or in motion, and can execute responses — ranging from simple notification to active blocking — based on policy settings. To be considered, products must support sophisticated detection techniques that extend beyond simple keyword matching and regular expressions.”
About the Magic Quadrant
The Magic Quadrant is a graphical representation of a marketplace at and for a specific time period. It depicts Gartner’s analysis of how certain vendors measure against criteria for that marketplace, as defined by Gartner. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in the Magic Quadrant, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors placed in the “Leaders” quadrant. The Magic Quadrant is intended solely as a research tool, and is not meant to be a specific guide to action. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
Big Billions Flowing into 4G
A new Deloitte report states that wireless telecommunications companies in the United States could invest $25 to $53 billion in fourth generation cellular wireless networks (4G) between 2012 and 2016, triggering $73 to $151 billion in gross domestic product growth and creating 371,000 to 771,000 jobs. Additional growth could occur as high-tech companies create new mobile broadband products and services, further changing the way people live, work and learn.
The Deloitte report, The Impact of 4G Technology on Commercial Interactions, Economic Growth, and U.S. Competitiveness, investigates the economic dynamics surrounding 4G technology and explains how the U.S. can maintain the global leadership position in mobile broadband innovation it won during the 3G era.
The $25 billion figure assumes a baseline scenario in which U.S. 4G deployment proceeds at a moderate pace and the transition from 3G to 4G extends to the middle of the decade. Under these conditions, U.S. firms are vulnerable to incursions by foreign competitors capitalizing on aggressive efforts in their home markets to deploy 4G networks and develop 4G-based devices and services.
The $53 billion figure assumes a scenario in which U.S. carriers invest more rapidly in 4G networks and start to produce popular 4G-based offerings before global competitors gain traction. In this scenario, the demand stimulated by new offerings justifies more network investment, setting off a virtuous cycle of investment and market response that positions the U.S. to retain its mobile broadband leadership.
“Investment in such a powerful form of communication contributes to the economic recovery and provides a job-creating engine for the future,” said Phil Asmundson, vice chairman and U.S. Media and Telecommunications sector leader, Deloitte LLP. “The key to harnessing the potential benefits of 4G technology lies in America’s market-driven wireless sector, which encourages the emergence of innovative applications that spur productivity and could produce the same surge of innovation and demand we experienced during the 3G era.”