There is no doubt that more and more technology purchase decisions by businesses are taking place on or being facilitated by social networks. But on the flip side, is the volume (or the lack of it) of information in the digital world slowing the pace of technology development?
This dichotomy of social media for technology businesses became evident from two new research reports published earlier this month.
UBM TechWeb’s ‘Social Media @ Work’ analysed social media consumption habits and preferences of almost 650 business technology decision makers. Social media has become pervasive, and technology decision makers are increasingly using a variety of social platforms to share information and help them make purchase decisions. They are relying on social media for information about new products and brands, and to get advice on technology.
element14 sponsored Technology Forecasters Inc. (TFI) to survey 328 design engineers globally to understand their top three challenges during the design process. The majority of engineers reported spending half their time on forums, blogs, and engineering communities looking for information and tools to enable their design process. Interestingly, the Design-with-Efficiency study also revealed that it is difficult to find comprehensive technical information online and even tougher to compare options and alternatives from competing vendors.
Clearly, businesses are putting a lot of emphasis on search engine optimisation (SEO) to maximise engagement through their digital footprint. However, is anyone paying attention to the unrestrained pleas by technology developers for better ways to access the information they need?
