MUMBAI, INDIA: Organizations who deploy most advanced collaboration technologies see a higher return on their collaboration investment and perform better than their less collaborative peers.

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This is according to a recent study, “Meetings Around the World II: Charting the Course of Advanced Collaboration” conducted by Frost & Sullivan and sponsored by Verizon and Cisco.

The study puts forth 10 steps for organizations to make the most of their collaborative assets:

Invest in an IP foundation. The launch pad to the world of advanced collaboration rests on a capabilities-rich IP infrastructure. Flexible and expansive IP networks provide a foundation for a successful deployment of unified communications and collaboration (UC&C) tools and should be equipped with on-demand bandwidth and classes of service to accommodate increased traffic loads and support a high-quality end-user experience.

The study found that IP networks are growing as a foundation for business operations, and collaboration has gone beyond traditional conferencing services to encompass more IP-based applications. 

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Establish a Benchmark for Collaborative Success. Survey stakeholders to understand their work needs and willingness to embrace change. How is business conducted today and how can UC&C empower employees by streamlining and improving business processes? Determine current and future requirements, and plan accordingly. 

Focus on the End Goals. Avoid hype and examine what business problems must be resolved. Then build a UC&C plan based on long-term and short-term goals. Carefully evaluate network, hardware and software options to validate their ability to meet current and future enterprise objectives. Make technology investment decisions that make the most of existing assets. 

Combine Ingredients to Create a Complete Experience. UC&C is a strategy – not a specific technology.  Effective collaboration is not just about data or video or voice or mobility, it is about how the tools are combined to create a collaborative experience that can reap the maximum benefits.   

Create a Culture of Collaboration. Meetings Around the World II found an organization’s culture to be a key factor in collaboration capability; even more so than what the first Meetings Around the World study found. Technology is important, but it must be deployed in an organization that is open, with a decentralized decision-making structure. Top executives must be advocates for collaboration tools to promote their use among all employees.