A survey on unified communications (UC) traction in the workplace, conducted by a leading market research firm, polled more than 500 professionals, mostly in middle management- to senior management-level positions across 13 industries, to gauge their knowledge of UC functionality, capabilities and benefits, specifically related to how the technology enables them to more efficiently work outside of the office.
The study titled, “The State of Unified Communications: Adoption Drivers in 2011” revealed that the majority of professionals surveyed are restricted in their ability to work effectively outside the office due to limited or no UC functionality. The survey also found that organizations that do have unified communications technology may not be leveraging their investment to its full potential.
Other findings resulting from the survey include:
- Thirty-seven percent of respondents said they are not satisfied with the current technology available to work remotely.
- Only 25 percent of respondents spend more than half their time working outside of the office, revealing a lack of flexibility from employers to offer telecommuting options.
- The majority of respondents (75 percent) spend more than half their time at their desks, citing the difficulty of doing their jobs effectively while working remotely as the main reason.
- After reading a definition of a UC system, 64 percent of respondents found the idea of using UC to more efficiently work outside the office an appealing idea.