IDC has positioned IBM (News - Alert) in the top spot for its global market share for enterprise social software. For the past three years, IBM has achieved this position for its fast growth. The company has experienced faster growth than its competitors, recording revenue increases of nearly 80 percent – roughly double the general market.

Social networking is being favorably considered by enterprises across the globe. An increasing number of organizations are adopting social business practices for incorporating global teams, driving originality, augmenting efficiency and enhancing customer and associate relations.

By 2016, revenue for the enterprise social platforms market is expected to cross $4.5 billion. As per IDC (News - Alert), the enterprise social platforms market is poised for a growth of nearly 43 percent in the next four years.

"Social software is gaining in momentum in the enterprise,” said Michael Fauscette, Group VP, Software Business Solutions Group at IDC. “Companies are seeing significant gains in productivity and increasing value from successfully deployed social software solutions including supporting ad hoc work by bringing people, data, content and systems together in real time, and making more effective critical business decisions by providing the 'right information' in the work context."

Social means are increasingly used by organizations to alter nearly every part of their business operations, right from marketing to research innovation and human resources. Organizations, however, do not have the necessary tools for obtaining insights into the massive stream of information and using it in a significant way.

"The opportunities for organizations to adopt social business processes to connect people and speed innovation are limitless,” said Alistair Rennie, GM of Social Business at IBM. “A successful social business can break down the barriers to collaboration and transform the next-generation workforce, from device to delivery vehicle of your choice, to improve productivity and speed decision making."

Real-time collaboration in one click is possible with IBM Connections, the social networking platform from IBM, available on the premises and in the cloud. Organizations can also develop social communities with IBM Connections, both within and outside the organization, effectively augmenting customer loyalty and increasing business results.