CIOs see unified communications as productivity enhancer

Respondents indicated that integrating mobile devices into the enterprise, implementing real-time identification through presence, unified messaging, instant messaging, followed by audio conferencing and desktop videoconferencing, can all have a positive impact on business efficiency, said the service provider.

The report, which surveyed more than 600 CIOs from multinational corporations operating in a wide-range of industries, highlighted that on average organizations support at least seven different communication tools and applications used by employees, said Orange, adding that it is this multitude of communication tools that pose increasing challenges to internal collaboration and ultimately slow down business processes and decision-making.

Respondents were asked about the obstacles multiple communications have on their organization. Ninety-five percent agreed that advancements in communication technologies have undoubtedly had a positive impact on business productivity, but they that the speed of communication has been compromised as a result of the increasing number of communication tools in place, said Orange.

Fourty-five percent of CIOs consider that multiple communication channels cause severe delays in colleague response time which can negatively impact business processes and productivity, said Organge.

Another 35 percent agree that uncoordinated or ineffective colleague contact can hamper an organization's ability to meet deadlines on time. This has a direct link to lost sales and revenue or increased customer dissatisfaction, Orange added.

An increasing number of companies, nearly 41 percent, are currently exploring unified communication strategies, while another 15 percent are trialing or evaluating a unified communications system, said Orange, adding that 6 percent of organizations have fully implemented related products.

Respondents identified that customer services, 33 percent, and sales, 28 percent, are the major beneficiaries of unified communications, Orange noted.