STAMFORD, Conn., June 20, 2007 � Due to the increasing need for companies to manage content at the enterprise level, the worldwide web conferencing and team collaboration software markets are expected to grow approximately 22 percent per year through 2010, from $1.3 billion in 2006 to $2.8 billion in 2010, according to Gartner, Inc. In 2007, worldwide web conferencing and team collaboration revenue is projected to total $1.6 billion, a 22.3 percent increase from 2006 (see Table 1).
The act of collaboration and the use of collaboration technologies strengthen business processes and increase the value of personal interaction. However, how people work in one scenario, at one time or with one group, may be different given a different context. Collaboration best practices, requirements and technologies will constantly evolve as people’s needs, behaviors and motivations change. The business value of collaboration is as an attribute for enhancing diverse business processes and interactions.
�In today’s collaboration marketplaces, it is all about options, choices, and flexibility,� said Tom Eid, research vice president for Gartner. �Being able to choose how and when to interact, the type and frequency of sharing that occurs, the types of technologies that are used, and on-site or hosted access are all improving the way people can share and relate.�
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Software Revenue : | 1,268.7 | 1,551.2 | 1,883.7 | 2,295.2 | 2,780.0 |
Source: Gartner (June 2007)
Over the next few years, collaboration as a function will become more strategic for many enterprises. Organizations will increasingly observe, manage, monitor and measure, and archive the artifacts of collaboration. Collaboration as a function is not a single technology, process or service, but rather an attribute that can be associated with diverse business processes or interactions. The benefit and the challenge are that there are many technologies and services that can be used to support collaboration, including e-mail, IM, team collaboration tools, work flow, wikis, blogs, social networks, communities of practice and Web conferencing.
�Collaboration, including the technologies and attributes and behaviors of collaboration, are becoming more strategic to organizations,� Mr. Eid said. �CIOs, IT managers, and line-of-business managers are shifting the priority of collaboration to pull adoption more deeply throughout their organizations.�
Additional information is available in the Gartner report �Forecast: Web Conferencing and Team Collaboration Software, Worldwide, 2006-2011.� This report examines the state of the worldwide web conferencing and team collaboration software markets and what trends are developing, and includes a full forecast for these markets. The report is available on Gartner’s Web site at http://www.gartner.com/DisplayDocument?ref=g_search&id=507592&subref=simplesearch.
Additional information on collaboration will be discussed at the Gartner Portals, Content and Collaboration Summit taking place September 17-19 in Las Vegas. This 2.5-day forum looks at workplace technologies such as portals, content management, communications tools, office suites, VOIP, collaboration support technologies, and mobile devices, and how these technologies are a key element in raising overall organizational productivity and employee impact. For complete event details, please visit the Gartner Portals, Content & Collaboration Summit Web site at http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=502443&tab=overview.
About Gartner
Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) is the world’s leading information technology research and advisory company. Gartner delivers the technology-related insight necessary for our clients to make the right decisions, every day. From CIOs and senior IT leaders in corporations and government agencies, to business leaders in high-tech and telecom enterprises and professional services firms, to technology investors, we are the indispensable partner to 60,000 clients in 10,000 distinct organizations. Through the resources of Gartner Research, Gartner Consulting and Gartner Events, we work with every client to research, analyze and interpret the business of IT within the context of their individual role. Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.A., and has 3,800 associates, including 1,200 research analysts and consultants in 75 countries. For more information, visit www.gartner.com.
