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IDC's New Social Software Research

Helping Clients Understand and Adopt New Processes and Technologies to Enable Business Transformation

Business in 2011 has changed dramatically from the pre-social web environment. In a hyperconnected global business environment, competition is more unpredictable and the impetus for innovation is stronger as well. Not only are market factors and dynamics different, but the people are also different. The social web has changed customer, employee, supplier and partner expectationsand is shaping a fresh way of interacting.

As interaction is redefining online relationships, innovative methods of communication and collaboration have emerged and trust has taken on new importance. The democratization and socialization of media through the social web has turned anyone into a publisher, reporter and/or critic - subsequently redefining influence. The social customer, employee, supplier and partner each have a voice and the means to use that voice at scale. And people are listening.

Social Business Framework

Complimentary Research

IDC's Social Business Taxonomy, 2011 (IDC #230541)

This IDC Insight presents IDC's first social business taxonomy designed to facilitate market, industry, and end-user understanding of the cultural, technological, and business process changes taking place because of the impact of social networking on enterprises today. The evolution of social business is discussed from an organizational transformation perspective as well as the technology markets that are supporting and enabling this transformation.

Determining the Value of Social Business ROI: Myths, Facts, and Potentially High Returns (IDC# 225497)

A company's social software strategy requires creating compelling customer and employee experiences while generating revenues, increasing profitability and/ or cutting costs. To determine social software ROI, businesses must consider why their customers and/or employees are using social software and understand the cost/benefit impact related to people, process and technology costs/benefits. However, before calculating social software ROI, a foundation of ROI analysis as well as social software "truths" must be discussed. In the Insight document entitled, Determining the Value of Social Business ROI: Myths, Facts, and Potentially High Returns (IDC# 225497). IDC and industry pundits Dr. Natalie Petouhoff and Kathy Herrmann discuss how to determine social ROI by:

  • Debunking social ROI myths
  • Defining social ROI gains and costs

Social Business Framework: Using People as a Platform to Enable Transformation (IDC# 223862)

In the Insight document entitled, Social Business Framework: Using People as a Platform to Enable Transformation (IDC# 223862), IDC has put forth its view on the Social Business – a term IDC coined to refer to those organizations that apply emerging technologies like Web 2.0 accompanied by organizational, cultural, and process changes to improve business performance in an increasingly connected global economic environment. This framework is designed to foster better communication, collaboration, and overall understanding of current market dynamics to decrease language barriers between vendors, customers and the broader industry.