There seems to be a lot of security risks involved with looping in social network sites into business models, however, a survey done by FaceTime Communications suggests that more and more corporations today are actually using social networks on the corporate networks without weighing the possible consequences and threats.
FaceTime Communications surveyed more than 1,100 prospects and IT professionals identified through Twitter, Facebook, Plaxo and LinkedIn between May 21 and June 1 to determine attitudes toward securing and managing social networking in the enterprise.
Highlights
Here are some interesting points to note from the survey results:
- 87 % IT managers out of a total of 1,100 said they personally use social networks on the corporate network.
- 80 % of them also admitted that information leakage is a primary concern with social networking use.
- 30 % of them would not consider a Web security platform that did not have the ability to secure and manage social networking and Web 2.0 applications
- Only 13 % said they never use sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn while at work.
Cyber criminals are getting smarter by the day. Recent reports indicate how easy it has become for spammers to hack accounts, spread malicious software and links, and steal data.
Benefits ranked by the respondents
List of benefits ranked by the respondents:
- Better employee communications
- Faster decision times due to collaboration
- Improved marketing communications
- Improved customer service and support
- Lead generation for sales
- Increased productivity
- More efficient recruiting
- Effective analyst relations
Well, there you go. A majority of respondents feel that better employee communication is the primary benefit of social networking.
Share your comments on what you think about social networking in the enterprise. Networking or no networking?
(Source: FaceTime Press Release)