With mobility and social networking on the rise, marketing departments are finding it hard to integrate channels. And the fundamental reason for this issue, according to IBM’s (News - Alert) latest research, is that in a large number of enterprises marketing and IT departments are not aligned.

Per IBM’s State of Marketing 2012, 60 percent of people in marketing say that the reason they are not achieving their goals and reaching customers through new channels, including mobile, is because they are not aligned with the company’s IT department, reported CMSWire.com.

Who’s responsible for this problem? Based on IBM’s research, IT-bashing seems to be a regular past-time for marketing departments. Of course, many say the reverse is also true, according to CMSWire reporter David Roe.

According to IBM’s study, however, marketing professionals are now preparing to go beyond coupon-based marketing, and with the rise of mobile, looking to deliver specific content to specific groups and individuals through mobile devices and tablets.

The study shows that when IT and marketing departments collaborate, the results are encouraging. “One of the other interesting figures that came out of it is that 51 percent of companies that classified themselves as high performing also said that there was a good working relationship between IT and marketing – 10 percent higher than other companies,” wrote Roe.

The IBM research indicates that as new channels continue to mature and consumer habits evolve, marketing and IT have no alternative but to emerge from their traditional silos and form a strong partnership that puts the business in a position to succeed.

Hence, in order to do so, IBM is recommending marketing and information executives to pay attention to four things. First, CMOs and CIOs must forge stronger, more aligned relationships. Second, the two groups must work toward a unified vision. And third, they must plan together based on growth of social and online channels like Facebook (News - Alert) and Twitter, as well as smartphones and tablets.

Last, wrote Roe, the study is asking managers to take social media and online data more seriously when making marketing decisions.

To find out more about IBM visit the company at ITEXPO West 2012. To be held Oct. 2-5 at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, TX, ITEXPO (News - Alert) is the world’s premier IP communications event. Visit IBM in booth # 1324. For more information on ITEXPO West 2012, click here.