Verizon Business Introduces New Tool to Help Organizations Improve Collaboration, Enhance Performance
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., July 31 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
First-Of-Its-Kind 'Collaboration Calculator' Helps Measure Use of Technology and Culture of Group Work
Organizations will be able for the first time to measure how well their members work together and gauge how to improve
collaboration, using a new Collaboration Calculator introduced by Verizon Business.
The Web-based tool, developed by Frost & Sullivan for Verizon Business, is designed to help large businesses and government agencies quickly and simply measure
the effectiveness of existing collaborative initiatives and determine potential next steps for improving teamwork to
help support common business objectives and improve performance.
"In today's highly competitive global marketplace, effective collaboration can be a strategic competitive
differentiator," said Nancy Gofus, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Business. "Our
'Meetings Around the World' study last year demonstrated the direct correlation between collaboration and business
performance. This year, we're making the mechanics behind that study directly available to our customers to help them
assess how best to use collaborative technologies to help boost their own competitive edge."
Measuring the Impact of Collaboration and Business Performance
Collaboration is a key driver of business performance, according to "Meetings Around the World: The Impact of
Collaboration on Business Performance," a study conducted in 2006 by Frost & Sullivan and sponsored by Verizon Business and Microsoft Corp. The study - which defined collaboration as an
interaction between culture and technology such as audio and net conferencing, e-mail and instant messaging -- also
found that professionals around the world see their collaborative efforts as highly productive and believe that
collaboration through communications technologies can provide a competitive advantage. Full details of the report can be
found at http://newscenter.verizon.com/kit/collaboration/.
The Collaboration Calculator uses the methodology of the Meetings Around the World study so organizations can directly
measure the impact of their own collaborative efforts against the study's Global Collaboration Index.
Like the Meetings Around the World study, the Collaboration Calculator addresses multiple aspects of a business or
government organization's makeup, including market and number of employees, an organization's collaborative culture,
organizational structure and its use of collaborative technologies -- such as instant messaging, audio conferencing,
video conferencing, Web conferencing and meeting scheduler -- which generates a Collaboration Index score. Based on
these aspects, the Collaboration Calculator generates an organization's Collaboration Index score, which is then
compared with the overall index score in the Meetings Around the World study and, if applicable, to companies in the
region, industry sector and of similar size. Participants are assigned a ranking of Above Average, Average or Below
Average. The Calculator can also identify gaps in the use of technology to help guide the way to make improvements.
"This Collaboration Calculator brings the Collaboration Index to life. The Meetings Around the World study put the use
of conferencing and collaboration technologies under a microscope,'' said Brian Cotton, Vice President at Frost & Sullivan. "This is a good example of a real-world application of that study and how organizations can put it to use to
benefit their operations.''
Customer Response
In an initial deployment of the Collaboration Calculator, Verizon Business customer Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
was identified as an above average collaborator.
Siemens Medical Solutions turned to collaboration technologies, including Verizon Audio and Net Conferencing, as a way
to communicate to a global employee and client base.
"The cost of travel from moving people around the globe, several times a year, can really add up," said Nanci Wozniak,
Director, Clinical Education Services, Siemens Medical Solutions. "We use conferencing as a cost-effective and
productive way to move projects forward and for remote-training initiatives."
In addition to training its staff to deploy software upgrades and technology changes, Siemens Medical Solutions needed a
way to inform its clients about the upgrades and changes in a fast, efficient and cost-effective manner. Deploying audio
and Net conferencing fit the bill.
Verizon Business, through its expansive global network, is a leading provider of conferencing and collaboration
services, enabling organizations to conveniently and effectively collaborate, virtually anytime, anywhere, and helping
them improve response time and productivity without the costs associated with business travel. Verizon Business features
a wide range of audio, video and Web conferencing offerings, IP-based services and some of the most advanced meeting
tools available like Telepresence. With more than 30 years of experience delivering conferencing services, Verizon
Business today handles millions of virtual meetings each month.
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