The power of connection

The modern enterprise relies on an array of different tools to boost productivity, automate workflows, provide customer relationship management and support, and manage communications both internally and externally.

A Harmon.ie survey of information workers reports that, on average, 74% of employees have at least five apps open at one time and 16% use more than 15 apps per business day.

In the case of communications and collaboration, many of these tools may have been adopted at different times and for different purposes. A company’s landline phone and fax systems may date back decades, and it might have been years since email platforms or calendaring software were last updated. At the same time, modern businesses likely use other types of applications, like video conferencing or instant messaging tools, that have been implemented in just the past few years.

Businesses often treat each of these systems as its own special island because they lack an automated solution for sending data between one system and another. These businesses often rely on manual, ad hoc processes to connect one platform with others.

While that may alleviate some of these issues, these strategies come at a great cost, such as a lack of productivity and the loss of tools over time. IT teams, in particular, feel the pain of the ad hoc approach because they must deal with disconnected business workflows and, more worryingly, the security and compliance risks associated with employees using unsanctioned apps to circumvent poor workflow