A Newly Published 451 Research Study: Significant Productivity Gains for the Connected Workforce being driven by adoption of Mobile First, Messaging First communications

A survey of IT Decision makers and employees shows that workplaces with inconsistent mobile messaging policy and tools not only limits productivity gains, but also opens the door to privacy, compliance and security risks

CHICAGO – September 17, 2019 – A study released today by NetSfere, a secure enterprise messaging platform created by global mobility solutions provider Infinite Convergence, in conjunction with 451 Research, a leading information technology research and advisory company focusing on technology innovation and market disruption, found that flexibility in the workplace requires a mobile first, messaging first communications strategy to optimize productivity.

The study found that nearly half of both employees and IT decision makers surveyed believe they stand to gain six or more hours a week as a direct result of using their smartphones for business communication which is predominantly for messaging and collaboration. However, the right technology is needed, otherwise organizations set themselves up for fragmented collaboration and security risks.

“While IT decision makers and employees agree that productivity increases when smartphones are used for messaging and collaboration, consumer messaging apps are still primarily used,” said Raul Castanon-Martinez, Senior Analyst – Workforce Collaboration, 451 Research. “Whether they realize it or not, many organizations are playing with fire because they aren’t taking a comprehensive approach to business communication, mobile messaging and collaboration strategy.”

Other key findings from the report include:

• Employees rely heavily on their smartphones and messaging for business communications; 64 percent of employees use their smartphones several times a day for work purposes
• Mobile messaging is the preferred way to communicate among Millennials, but this trend is extending to all age groups
• Mobile first is key for user adoption, with the majority of respondents showing a strong preference for mobile-first applications
• Security, compliance and productivity are key priorities for IT decision makers when it comes to business communications
• 80 percent of IT decision makers consider it ‘very important’ that their messaging tools be optimized for mobile-specific working

“It is clear that productivity gains delivered by mobile-first communication platforms, combined with instantaneous nature of messaging are huge, but they should be made available to employees without compromising the enterprise IT environment whether its security, compliance or reliability,” said Anurag Lal, CEO and President of Infinite Convergence Solutions. “If the enterprise fails to do this, employees will turn to consumer-grade apps that will limit productivity gains and put sensitive business information out in the public domain.”

IT decision makers are taking steps in the right direction, but more can be done

Security and productivity are key priorities for IT decision-makers when it comes to business communications. Nearly half of those surveyed noted that their organizations have a significant number of employees constantly traveling or working remotely, resulting in the need for secure messaging tools and digital workspaces. IT leaders are prioritizing scalability, security and productivity, while integrating consumer-driven innovations like video calling into corporate-issued collaboration platforms.

While the study found that IT decision makers understand what their organizations need for messaging and collaboration, it did identify several gaps in providing the right technologies for the modern work environment. Organizations still tend to address mobility as an added feature, rather than a mission-critical capability. Low adoption of corporate-issued messaging and collaboration platforms is proof, with 75 percent of employees stating that they use SMS for business purposes on a daily basis.

“The slow adoption of most corporate-issued collaboration platforms and the lack of support for secure mobile messaging should be a wakeup call to business leaders that they need to view mobile-first as their primary employee communication and collaboration channel,” said Lal. “While mobile communication improves productivity, consumer-grade apps result in fragmented collaboration, a limited role for IT and poses security risks to a business.”

For more information about the study, please visit the website.

About NetSfere

NetSfere is a secure enterprise messaging service from Infinite Convergence Solutions, Inc. NetSfere provides industry-leading security and message delivery capabilities, including global cloud-based service availability, device-to-device encryption, location-based features, and administrative controls. The service is also offered in partnership with Deutsche Telekom GmbH, one of the world’s leading integrated telecommunications companies, and with NTT Ltd., a global information communications & technology service provider, to jointly offer NetSfere to its worldwide customers. The service leverages Infinite Convergence's experience in delivering mobility solutions to tier 1 mobile operators globally and technology that supports more than 500 million subscribers and over a trillion messages annually. NetSfere is also compliant with global regulatory requirements, including GDPR, HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, ISO 27001, and others. Infinite Convergence Solutions has offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, India and Singapore. For more information, visit: www.netsfere.com.

About 451 Research

451 Research is a leading information technology research and advisory company focusing on technology innovation and market disruption. More than 100 analysts and consultants provide essential insight to more than 1,000 client organizations globally through a combination of syndicated research and data, advisory and go-to-market services, and live events. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in New York, 451 Research is a division of The 451 Group.

Media Contact

Colette McLaughlin
Uproar PR for NetSfere / Infinite Convergence
cmclaughlin@uproarpr.com
312-878-4575 x240