Like
anything, you get what you pay for. However, that doesn't mean a
social media or Intranet 2.0 solution can't be an inexpensive
solution, but it does require proper planning & governance, and
usually some customization.
According
to the results of the
Intranet
2.0 Global Survey
(561 organizations of all sizes from across the planet), 46% of those
with 2.0 tools have spent nothing or very little on the solution:
-
46%
have spent $10,000 or less -
35%
have spent between $10,000 and $100,00; 19% have spent $100,000 or
more
It
should probably come as no surprise then that satisfaction levels
with 2.0 tools is also quite low:
-
Satisfaction
rates with executives is dangerously poor: 38% of executives rate
the 2.0 tools as poor or very poor; a lowly 23% rate them as good or
very good -
Employee
satisfaction is almost poor: 35% of organizations say employee
satisfaction with the 2.0 tools is poor or very poor; only 27% rate
the tools as good or very good -
Only
29% of organizations rate the tool functionality as good or very
good; 24% rate them as poor or very poor
In
short, organizations are spending very little on their 2.0
initiatives, and the satisfaction levels are correspondingly low.
Investment doesn't necessarily deliver satisfaction, but a look into
the technologies used reveals some further insight. The vast majority
of organizations with 2.0 tools use free, open source solutions or
those bundled with a platform solution like SharePoint:
-
48%
of organizations use SharePoint -
20%
of organizations use Facebook -
17%
of organizations use MediaWiki -
16%
of organizations use WordPress
There
isn't a single, dedicated 2.0 licensed solution used by more than 13%
of organizations. The vast majority use free, open source with the
exception of SharePoint which sports 2.0 tools that leave very little
to be desired (although the social media components in SharePoint
2010 are supposed to be spectacular, and represent a heavy portion of
the investment in the SharePoint upgrade).
Two
lessons are worth noting:
– Vanilla solutions will deliver vanilla results (without
customization tailored to the target audience.
Change management is tantamount to success. These tools require
promotion, education, and communications. If you build it they will
not come necessarily, employees need to be instructed accordingly.
ALSO
READ:
Intranet
2.0 Becomes Mandatory
THE
INTRANET 2.0 GLOBAL SURVEY:
The
findings of the Intranet 2.0 Global Survey are highlighted in the
report “Intranet 2.0: social media becomes mainstream on the
corporate intranet.”
To
download a free, summarized version of the Intranet 2.0 report please
visit:
http://www.prescientdigital.com/articles/download-summary-report-of-intranet-2-0-global-survey
To
purchase the full, 44-page Intranet 2.0 report of analysis &
recommendations please visit:
http://www.prescientdigital.com/articles/purchase-intranet-2-0-global-survey-report