14 DAY TRIAL // Many companies believe that the use of web 2.0 applications leads to a lower quality of work, because employees tend to forget about their daily tasks and rather concentrate on instant messaging or on updating their profiles on social networks. A recent study from Forrester proves that the outlook has changed.
"Our recent Web 2.0 survey shows IT departments taking a more active role in the acquisition and deployment of Web 2.0 technologies. Budgetary controls, the need for integration and technical skills, and the growing importance of Web 2.0 tools are all putting IT departments in the driver's seat," says Oliver Young, the creator of the study, which brings to attention that marketers should take into account the changes and maybe provide with some different facilities.
The web 2.0 applications don't necessarily have to be seen as factors of distraction from the daily routine at the job. For some people who have to check with their Facebook or Hi5 address twice a day, denying their access to the social networks would sooner be frustrating and thus decrease the quality of their work. At the same time, using some wiki pages, which are not always providers of useless trivia, can help them with details on something that is required to be done as a job task.
The situation is about to change because, as the report revealed, IT professionals got to the point where they are users of web 2.0 themselves. By acknowledging that rather casual applications can do more good than bad - in the first place because they help employees loosen up - IT managers can change for the better the stiff atmosphere that is still a reality in some offices. And, if they let advertisers know that there's been a change in the rules, maybe they'll also receive more useful ads on the web pages that were quasi-prohibited.