Sydney, Australia, 28 March 2012. The appetite for workspace strategies and the related requirement to review enterprise application strategies are driving the adoption of social business tools, according to a survey by IDC.

"Enterprise social business initiatives in Australia are being rolled up into broader workplace strategies," Says IDC Software Analyst, Vanessa Thompson. "This approach helps break the inertia toward enterprise deployment of social tools as well as the current mantra of business unit 'social' silos."

The research also confirms that banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), distribution and services, and government industries are exhibiting the greatest adoption intensity and maturity in the use of social business tools. Broadening adoption of social tools is generating best practice industry scenarios and providing positive return on investment (ROI) and total cost of ownership (TCO) metrics. These metrics also identify the impact of both workspace change as well as the overall benefit to the business' bottom line.

Industry peer experiences and benchmarks generated from use of social tools will not only help plan future investment in the workspace but also help IT departments prove their contribution to organisational goals beyond 'keeping the lights on'. The Australia and New Zealand Social Business Maturity Model by Vertical Industry has been used to identify target verticals where quick wins are likely and where a different go-to-market approach may be required.

"Whilst the model indicates the other industry groupings have yet to find the value in social tools, this is not to suggest they won't be eventual adopters," Says Thompson. "The less-mature industry groupings are a smart target for supply side organisations looking to carve out a niche but a creative approach will be required."

The report entitled Australia and New Zealand Social Business Maturity Model by Vertical Industry, draws on two primary sources and overlays these with the IDC Social Business Maturity Model . The first is the ANZ Next Generation Workspace Ecosystem CIO and IT Decision Maker Survey which had a sample size of 291 participants. The second is the ANZ Enterprise Employee Survey, that investigated the perceptions, usage and expectations of 600 employees across the region.

http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=AU1123702U

About IDC

IDC is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. IDC helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and business strategy. More than 1,000 IDC analysts provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. For more than 45 years, IDC has provided strategic insights to help our clients achieve their key business objectives. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research, and events company. You can learn more about IDC by visiting www.idc.com or www.idc.com.au .

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