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Collaboration more than choosing the right product: analyst

CIOs should not take a one-size-fits-all approach

CIOs are being warned that an understanding of the market and individual business requirements is vital if a Web 2.0 deployment in the enterprise is going to be successful.

Ovum analyst, Richard Edwards, addressed a group of IT leaders in Sydney this week and shared his research on the future of the enterprise collaboration market, focusing on the challenges facing CIOs in both Australia and on a global scale.

Edwards said while there are a number of vendors offering collaboration solutions, CIOs should not take a one-size-fits-all approach.

“The market is difficult to segment. The collaboration universe really is replete with a whole host of vendors.”

“There are so many differing business requirements for Web 2.0 products that have resulted in a number of vendor choices. Marketing has a lot to do with IT selection, but you need to step back and have a look at what the best option would be,” he said.

Edwards said CIOs need to make decisions “relevant to the structure of their IT systems” and that a collaborative approach is necessary.

“Generally, we don’t give the user a choice in the workplace or the enterprise. I think that’s where a lot of the contention is being found between the end users and the IT department.”

“The IT department are trying to work out whether what the end user wants is compatible with what the company can provide for,” he said.

Edwards’ research analysed revenue growth, vertical reach and the size-band coverage of the industry and found Web 2.0 success was about more than simply choosing the right vendor.

“Isn’t your success based on how you run the product? You could choose the right product for your organisation and run it effectively,” Edwards said.

Edwards' colleague, Steve Hodgkinson, discussed why Web 2.0 is not all about young people.

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