Social Media Proves a Popular Communications Tool among Latin American Enterprises, Finds Frost & Sullivan
Voice remains critical to businesses as smart phones and IP phones are the most frequently used tools
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, April 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- In Latin America, IT decision makers continue to value integrated solutions, although they are likely to source them from several vendors rather than from a single provider. IT spending is mainly aimed at improving productivity, accelerating decision making, and enhancing customer experience.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, The Future of Unified Communications in Latin America (https://www.frost.com/ne97), finds that only 55 percent of enterprises in Latin America currently use an enterprise-grade social platform.
If you are interested in more information on this study, please send an e-mail to Francesca Valente, Corporate Communications, at [email protected].
"Laptops, instant messaging, and smart phones are the most commonly used enterprise communication tools today, but all three are expected to experience significant declines in three years," said Frost & Sullivan Customer Research Global Director Tonya Fowler. "IP phones are by far the most widely deployed tool, followed closely by consumer social media. However, the popularity of smart phones and IP phones indicate that voice remains critical to most businesses."
One of the biggest IT challenges to enterprises in Latin America is dealing with regulatory requirements, followed closely by the need to make effective and timely investments in technology. The tools that have the least frequent use are room-based video and web conferencing.
Companies currently report that they value cloud-based services because they offer advanced features and greater flexibility. Email remains the technology most deployed in the cloud.
Meanwhile, companies in the region have demonstrably been slow to adopt policies relating to the 'bring your own device' (BYOD) trend. Those that do have systems in place rely mostly on network management and endpoint security.
In terms of the most effective enterprise communication, manufacturing firms report the biggest productivity boost from internal employee collaboration, whereas healthcare lags far behind, and has many ineffective processes.
Notably, all enterprises in Latin America use public social media extensively. Almost three quarters of companies have already implemented usage policies for public social media, and two-thirds have dedicated staff.
"Mid-size and large enterprises are more likely to use social media for internal collaboration than small businesses, but not by a large margin," noted Fowler. "Mid-size organizations have the best handle on managing public social media use. Large enterprises have the most measurable value, while a small percentage of small businesses see no value at all."
The biggest revenue impact of public social media sites is in healthcare. Educational institutions are making substantial use of social media for internal collaboration, unlike retail and manufacturing firms.
The Future of Unified Communications in Latin America is part of the Enterprise Communications (http://www.enterprise.frost.com) Growth Partnership Service program. Frost & Sullivan's related studies include: 2015 Hosted Unified Communications Buyers' Guide, Top 10 ICT Trends for Africa in 2015, New Roles for Voice and Unified Messaging in Enterprise Communications, Regional Growth Opportunities for SIP Phones, and Growth Opportunities for Professional Headsets in the European Market. All studies included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.
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The Future of Enterprise Communications in the Workplace in Latin America
NE97-64
Contact:
Francesca Valente
Corporate Communications – Latin America
P: +54 11 4777 5300
F: +54 11 4777 5300
E: [email protected]
SOURCE Frost & Sullivan
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