Unify's New Way to Work Index Volume 2 Identifies Impact of Technology on Team Success

MUNICH and RESTON, Va., June 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Unify today released Volume 2 of the industry leading New Way to Work (#NW2W) Index, showing the impact technology has on team success. The research conducted for the #NW2W Index Volume 2 ran between March and April 2014, surveying 137 business executives and team members from around the world to get a real world view of the collaboration capabilities offered and used by teams and their correlation to team performance.

The latest edition of the #NW2W Index is part of an ongoing research series announced by Unify chief executive officer Dean Douglas in March, where he detailed the imperative for business leaders to prioritize creating new strategies for communications and collaboration systems and IT infrastructure.

Among the findings in the #NW2W Index Volume 2, the survey showed that the most successful teams have and use communication and collaboration technology two to four times more than teams that enjoy marginal or no success.

"It's imperative that we equip teams for the transformation  that is happening in today's virtual business environment, using real-time communication and collaboration technologies to enable the new way to work," said Bill Hurley, chief marketing officer of Unify. "This survey validates how the ease of connecting and the ability to collaborate spontaneously correlate with team success. This is more than just a trend driven by Millennials—the trend is critical to engaging people with ideas and sustaining organizational performance when teams are distributed across multiple locations."

Data from the #NW2W Index Volume 2 provide insights on how technology use impacts team success. Below are some of the capabilities studied.

• Add Screen-Share to Call: Screen sharing, or web collaboration is used by two-thirds of all survey respondents. With such high availability, the gap in use by more and less successful teams is telling. On less successful teams, 19 percent have screen sharing capabilities, but don't use it; 42 percent simply don't have it.
• Add Video to Call: In previous Unify research, 75 percent of respondents said it's easier to collaborate when they can see each other. While the ability to click to add video to a call is fairly common among successful teams, 61 percent of those on struggling or less successful teams don't have video capability or don't use it.
• See Colleagues' Availability: 83 percent of successful teams can see if colleagues are available for a call, IM or email, which is key to finding someone to help or be your sounding board on the fly – just as you would in the office. Though "presence" was one of the first big features of unified communications, its limited use is surprising – and apparently vital to team success.
• See who's on a Conference Call: 81 percent of those on more successful teams can see who else is on a conference call. In Volume 1 of the #NW2W Index, the findings revealed that those on very successful teams are far more likely to speak freely and candidly on virtual calls than those on struggling teams. Being able to see who's on the call may be valuable in helping virtual team members have confidence disagreeing or pitching an off-the-cuff idea.
• Enterprise IM: The ability to send an Instant Message to a colleague is a big part of being available to a team, especially in today's distributed workforce. On less successful teams, 47 percent don't have or use enterprise instant messaging; 86 percent of successful teams use it.
• Mobile Unified Communications: Overall, only one-third (34 percent) of responders have the same access to these collaboration functions from company-approved mobile devices as they do in the office. Those who have it, are far more likely to rate their teams as very successful, indicating the urgent need for solutions that create enhanced productivity and collaboration across multiple platforms.

Unify has created a new resource hub filled with content, data and best practices that leaders can access as they build their New Way to Work strategy. For additional information about the Index findings and to download a copy of the current Unify #NW2W Index, please visit www.unify.com/NW2W.

Follow the New Way to Work (#NW2W) conversation on Twitter at #NW2W and on LinkedIN.

About the Unify NW2W Index
The Unify NW2W Index examines the habits and constructs of successful virtual teams and the anywhere worker. Produced quarterly, findings include research on management and behavioral trending of virtual teams. The Unify NW2W Index is distributed via email, social media and website by Unify and our partners at the Ferrazzi Greenlight Research Institute. 

About Unify
Unify is one of the world's leading communications software and services firms, providing integrated communications solutions for approximately 75 percent of the Fortune Global 500. Our solutions unify multiple networks, devices and applications into one easy-to-use platform that allows teams to engage in rich and meaningful conversations. The result is a transformation of how the enterprise communicates and collaborates that amplifies collective effort, energizes the business, and enhances business performance. Unify has a strong heritage of product reliability, innovation, open standards and security.  

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SOURCE Unify