IBM has announced a new version of its IBM Connections software, the company’s enterprise social networking platform–with support for iPhone 5.
As part of the announcement, IBM unveiled new software and services that bring the power of big data analytics into the hands of today’s social-savvy workforce any time, any place. Now, organizations can apply analytics to their social business initiatives, allowing them to gain actionable insight on information generated on networks and put it to work in real-time, IBM said.
IBM announced the availability of IBM Connections 4, which incorporates analytics capabilities, real-time data monitoring, and faster collaborative networks both inside and outside the organization, whether on premise, in the IBM SmartCloud or using a broad range of mobile devices, including the new iPhone 5.
IBM also announced that leading companies around the globe, including Bayer MaterialScience, Colgate-Palmolive Company, LeasePlan, Primerica and Teach for America, are using its social software to achieve returns on their social business investments.
Big Blue officials said for three consecutive years, IDC ranked IBM No. 1 in enterprise social software. And more than 60 percent of the Fortune 100 companies have licensed IBM social software. IBM says its position in analytics has been established through a strategy that required the expansion of R&D, acquisition, and business initiatives across its hardware software and services portfolio.
The rise of social media is prompting business leaders, from the chief marketing officer to the chief HR officer to the CIO, to evaluate how to create opportunities that drive business transformation through the use of social technology, creating real business value, IBM said. According to Forrester Research, the market opportunity for social enterprise apps is expected to grow at a rate of 61 percent through 2016.
At the same time, business leaders lack the tools to gain insight into the enormous stream of information and use it in a meaningful way, IBM says. According to IBM’s CEO Study, today only 16 percent of CEOs are using social business platforms to connect with customers, but that number is poised to spike to 57 percent within the next three to five years. A recent IBM study of more than 1,700 chief marketing officers reveals 82 percent plan to increase their use of social media in the next three to five years.
"To truly realize the full potential of a social business, leaders need to empower a company’s most vital asset–the information being generated from its people," said Alistair Rennie, general manager of social business at IBM, in a statement. "Now is the time for business leaders to embed social into their key business processes to shift their business from the era of ‘liking’ to ‘leading.’"
IBM Connections integrates activity streams, calendaring, wikis, blogs, a new email capability and more, and flags relevant data for action. It allows for instant collaboration with one click and the ability to build social, secure communities both inside and outside the organization to increase customer loyalty and speed business results. The new Connections mail capability provides simplified access to email within the context of the social networking environment.
To read the original eWeek article, click here: IBM Connections Merges Social Business With Big Data Analytics
