Global senior executives survey: integrating the network to enhance competitive advantage

AT&T and Economic Information Center (Economist Intelligence Unit) the latest survey report and joint shows that the integration of enterprise network using IP platform has become the main trend. 25% of the surveyed companies have integrated the company up and down all or most of the network, and another 60% of respondents said the company will reach this level in 2008 or before. The survey interviewed 236 executives around the world, including the chief executive officer of the 77, to investigate the process of their enterprise transition to the IP network. The results of the survey showed that 45% of respondents believe that the integration of network for enterprises to achieve the strategic goal of information technology and business, which belongs to the "important" or "extremely important", only 4% of the respondents think that belongs to "not important".

The results of the survey show that the focus of the network integration program has changed. In the past, companies only think that the integration platform can reduce the cost of the network, but now companies have gradually realized that the use of integrated networks to innovate and provide value-added services. For example, some respondents said the integration of network can improve the level of customer service, and promote cooperation and coordination with customers, suppliers, partners and employees and other aspects, it has more advantages than the telephone charges down and important.

The survey 39% of respondents for the Asia Pacific business. Throughout the world, the largest number of respondents choose "enhanced security level" as the biggest advantage of integrated network (68%), followed by "availability" (62%) and "reliability" (46%). In the Asia Pacific region, the largest number of respondents selected "availability" as the biggest advantage of the integrated network (59%), followed by "enhanced security level" (58%) and "reliability" (39%).

It is worth noting that the survey results show that the current Asia Pacific respondents in the integration of the network, slightly ahead of the world average. Global 25% of respondents said that all or most of the enterprise network has been integrated, while the ratio of the Asia Pacific region was 26%. The next three years, the Asia Pacific region is also more willing to invest in the integration of the network, there are companies in the Asia Pacific region, said a substantial increase in investment in network integration (an increase of more than 25%), compared with the global average of was 15%.

AT&T technical director Hossein Eslambolchi said: to reduce capital and operating expenses is undoubtedly important, but this is only a secondary advantage of the integration of the network. Network integration should focus on how to help enterprises to create a new generation of services for customers and business partners, the main focus is on how to innovate services, and network integration is the key to achieve the goal. "

Network integration can help enterprises to achieve the above objectives through a variety of communication channels to provide consistent high quality services. The study by AT&T and the economic intelligence center, the study shows that mobile text, video, online chat will be the next two years, the main channel of communication with customers. It is clear that companies need to install a network solution, at any time to obtain the support of suppliers and partners to assist in order to be able to increase the complexity of the communication environment and the ever-changing business advantage today.

This novel network model for the enterprise has brought many opportunities, but also bring significant challenges in operation. The respondents of the administrative personnel, the construction cost is the main consideration, network security has so many companies worry, and these problems with digital channel expanding will also see more complicated. In addition, the management of network technology talent shortage, but also to enjoy the results of the integration of enterprises need to solve the problem.

Investigation and research methods:

The research conducted by the Economist Intelligence Center invited 236 senior executives from around the world to take an online survey. The majority of respondents from the Asia Pacific region (39%), North America (31%) and Europe (25%), the other for Latin America, the Middle East and africa. The five major industries represented by respondents are professional services, financial services, manufacturing, information technology and energy and health and care. In addition to the survey, the Economist Intelligence Center also conducted a series of interviews with senior executives and analysts. All the research work was carried out from May 2005 to June.

About EIU

The Economist Intelligence Center is the economist's publisher, Economist Group's business information agency. Through its global network of more than and 500 analysts, EIU often assess and predict the political, economic and business situation in nearly 200 countries around the world. As the world's largest provider of national information, the Economist Intelligence Center helps managers make business decisions by providing timely, reliable and fair analysis of global market trends and business strategies.

About AT&T

In 125 years, AT&T because of its unparalleled quality and reputation in the field of communication reliability. Based on research and development capabilities of AT&T labs, the company is a leading global provider of local, long-distance, Internet and transaction based voice and data services. Www.att.com