Service Providers - Social Software User More Innovative
ResearchSocial software will again be an important topic at CeBit 2010. The use of social software applications is still subject of controversial public discussion. Some argue that wikis, blogs and other online social networks for firms distract employees from their jobs. Others consider social software an important impulse for a firm’s success. The latter has been proven by a survey conducted by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) Mannheim. The survey indicates that service providers using social software applications are more innovative than firms not using social software apps (ZEW Discussion Paper No. 09-046).
The ZEW survey is based on data by 505 IT and communication service providers as well as knowledge-intensive service providers including companies in the sectors tax consulting and accounting, management consultancy, architecture, technical consultancy and planning, research and development as well as advertising. Innovations in the service sector are the segmentation of products, the acquisitions of new clients and opening up new market segments. Knowledge which can be accessed by firms is an important impetus for innovations. This is exactly where the potential of wikis, blogs and online social networks lies. These applications are used by firms, especially when managing knowledge and networking with clients and suppliers. "Social software can improve the firms’ access on internal and external knowledge and therefore support their innovation activity", says Irene Bertschek, head of ZEW research group Information and Communication Technologies. "ZEW surveys from 2009 indicate that most service providers are not familiar enough with social software applications to use them productively for increasing their business success."
For further information please contact
Dr. Jenny Meyer, E-Mail: meyer@zew.de
Prof. Dr. Irene Bertschek, Phone: +49 (0)621/1235-178, E-mail: bertschek@zew.de