About 64% of senior executives believe that cloud-based collaboration tools will assist businesses in executing faster compared to other possible means, according to a new Cisco-sponsored survey commissioned by Forbes Insights.
The ‘Collaborating in the Cloud’, study revealed that the move would cut down time to market, speed up product upgrade cycles and allow rapidly responding to competitive challenges.
About 55% of the surveyed said that the capabilities offered by cloud-based applications represent a true breakthrough in collaboration, while 58% of overall respondents report that cloud-based collaboration can improve business processes.
Forbes Media chief insights officer, Bruce Rogers, said the ability to collaborate in the cloud is becoming a key driver of competitive advantage.
"Leading companies are doing more to foster cloud-based collaboration — not only internally, but also with an ever-wider swath of external groups including customers, suppliers, partners, and even regulators," Rogers said.
Additionally, 59% of executives believe that the collaboration will boost innovation, enabling new service delivery options with more people both within and without their organisations.
However, 75% of the survey respondents revealed that non-IT executives have been more involved in the selection, implementation, and management processes associated with cloud-based collaboration tools.
Cisco Hosted Collaboration Solution business unit vice president and general manager, Eric Schoch, said the survey results show that cloud-based collaboration acts as a significant enabler of business success, which is exactly what our customers tell us on a daily basis.
"Clouds accelerate the roll-out of collaborative technologies such as voice, video, and conferencing so that companies can improve the efficiency of their decision-making and the quality of their customers’ experiences," Schoch said.
"As clouds and macroeconomic factors increase the speed of business and collaboration, businesses look to clouds as a means to gain a competitive edge."
