Collaboration Apps Create New Team Productivity Issues for SMBs

Samepage and ORC International Release SMB Collaboration Apps Insights and Survey Results

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Nov 19, 2015, 11:00 ET

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SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Samepage, the free contextual collaboration app that unites team content and conversation on a single page, today released results from a survey conducted by global business intelligence firm ORC International.*

The survey sought to understand the drivers of collaboration app adoption, gauge which collaboration apps are most important to productivity, and discover if the apps have fulfilled SMBs' efficiency expectations. Analysis was based on responses from 217 business owners, CEOs and executives of U.S. businesses with 3-500 employees.

Key Findings:

80% use at least three collaboration apps, 50% use six or more
80% use these apps to work with customers and partners
90% believe collaboration apps are fulfilling adoption objectives
65% find it difficult to find the correct file in their file sharing folders
88% think that instant messaging is good for asking quick questions, but limited beyond that
65% want fewer emails and 44% agree that email is not good for managing teams and projects
65% are looking for a better solution to improve communication and increase productivity

While collaboration apps are generally improving the way business teams work, the widespread adoption of disparate apps within SMBs is creating a new set of issues. Content is distributed across file sharing folders, email attachments and online productivity apps while conversations are split across email, IM and social business apps. This siloing of information is making it more difficult for business teams to maintain context on their workflows, meetings and projects. This creates the need for an app that unifies content and conversation together in one central location.

"The world needs a better approach to team collaboration. It's a problem that's universal, we call it the collaboration paradox. With so many apps to choose from — from email to IM to file sharing to task/project management to online productivity — team-based content and conversations have become increasingly distributed and fragmented across a slew of siloed applications and this actually hinders collaboration," said Scott Schreiman, CEO of Samepage. "We believe in a more holistic approach to team productivity, uniting content and conversation on a single page which enables contextual collaboration."

Additional Findings:

Adoption of collaboration apps is being primarily driven by individual employees rather than executives. Specifically, the most employee-driven adoption is that of Social tools for Business (71%), Instant messaging (68%), and File sharing (61%)
More than half of SMBs are paying for collaboration apps, despite free offerings

All survey results are available for download at bit.ly/SamepageSMBSurvey.

About Samepage
Samepage is changing the way teams work together. Anyone can create a free online page in minutes and share ideas and content with co-workers, customers, vendors and consultants. By combining easy to create pages, file sharing and cloud-based content with user comments, Samepage helps teams maintain context and get more done. Samepage makes common business processes like event planning, hiring, product launches, or client interactions easier and more effective. No more hunting for emails, attachments or getting lost in file sync folders – Samepage keeps your team working together in the office or on the go. Samepage is a 2015 Hot Vendor In Content and Collaboration for Workplace award winner from Aragon Research. For more information and to create a free account, visit www.samepage.io.

About ORC International
ORC International is a leader in the art of business intelligence. Our teams are passionate about discovering what engages people around the world. By combining quality data, smart synthesis and best in class digital platforms, we deliver our clients the insight that powers the growth and drives the future of their business. To learn more about ORC International, visit www.orcinternational.com.

*Throughout the survey, examples of each type of collaboration app include: