Collaboration in the Cloud - a Value-Driver for Organizations

Forbes has a summary of a study that reveals the leading value of cloud technologies -- collaboration. From Forbes:

The research, which combines a global survey of more than 500 executives with 15 executive interviews, found that 64 percent of respondents say cloud-based collaboration tools help businesses execute faster than would be possible otherwise.

Another key finding is that the cloud enhances collaboration across time zones and functional boundaries. Fifty-five percent of those surveyed — 87 percent of leaders — say that capabilities enabled by cloud-based solutions represent a true breakthrough in collaboration.

The cloud also enables more-efficient business processes, according to the survey. Fifty-eight percent of total respondents and 90 percent of leaders say cloud-based collaboration has the potential to improve business processes such as purchasing, manufacturing, marketing, sales and technical support.

A huge majority (93 percent) of the leaders say cloud-based collaboration stimulates innovation, and say non-IT executives are becoming more involved in the selection, implementation and management processes relating to cloud-based collaboration tools.

"The ability to collaborate in the cloud is becoming a key driver of competitive advantage," Bruce Rogers, chief insights officer of Forbes Media, said in a statement. "Leading companies are doing more to foster cloud-based collaboration — not only internally but also with an ever-wider swath of external groups including customers, suppliers, partners and even regulators." The benefits of cloud-based collaboration include greater efficiency, organizational dexterity and innovation, Rogers said.

Full article here...