Social networking can be good for business, says report

14:35 13th November 2008

Many companies have banned the use of social networking sites in their offices, however, a recent study has challenged the wisdom of such action.

The research by AT&T revealed that out of 2,500 office workers from five countries within Europe, 65 per cent believed that their efficiency had been enhanced by the use of social networking sites.

Benefits they felt they derived from such sites included brainstorming and sparking ideas off one another, said 46 per cent of those surveyed.

"The change is sociological rather than technological, thus it will be difficult to justify with traditional ROI models," commented Martin Silman, executive director at AT&T.

He added that businesses should not resist the internet as it is proving to be an effective mode of communication and is altering corporate culture to such an extent that companies should accommodate social networking to their advantage.

According to the Daily Telegraph, access to social networking sites such as Facebook has been restricted by at least two thirds of businesses.