IDC has announced  the results of its first regional survey exploring the impact of Web 2.0, which showed that almost 50% of companies view second-generation Internet applications as a significant business opportunity. However, almost 8% view these applications as a threat. The survey is the first of a series of monthly surveys that IDC will conduct in 2008 to examine the impact of Web 2.0 on Asian enterprises and consumers.

On average, 30% of companies said they needed "fair" or "significant" improvement in areas such as internal workflow and communications, networking with customers and sales and marketing. A similar number of companies see Web 2.0 as a "fairly" or "extremely helpful" tool for improving in these areas --- even as a way to improve sales. Companies in India and Korea were most likely to see Web 2.0 as a way to improve their business followed by companies in China, Hong Kong and Singapore. But Australian companies appeared less open to Web 2.0.

"There has been a lot of buzz surrounding Web 2.0 in the last couple of years, even to the extent that some have predicted it as the next big bubble, said Claus Mortensen, Principal, IDC Asia/Pacific Emerging Technologies Research. "Whatever happens, some areas of Web 2.0 will strongly affect how companies conduct business, the way they view and treat their employees and the way the reach their customers. Our survey shows both Asian enterprises and consumers see great potential in Web 2.0 in all of those areas."

More than half of the companies surveyed said they do not allow employees to access typical Web 2.0 services from work---such as social networking sites (Facebook and Friendster), Internet video sites (YouTube) or virtual worlds (Second Life) --- because they view such services a waste of the employee's and the company's time. The consumer component confirmed that such concerns are well founded: 20% or more of the respondents said they were accessing services like YouTube, downloading and uploading video and music or even playing online games and using pier-to-pier programs like BitTorrent during their time at work.

On the other hand, consumers also said they are actively using Web 2.0 services for work purposes, with almost 50% accessing online communities to network with other colleagues, and 23% to network with clients and customers.

In most areas, enterprises and consumers were consistent in their views of how Web 2.0 can help work performance. However, most consumers view Web 2.0 as a way to have "more fun or enjoyment" at work, but only 17% of the companies thought their work environments needed any significant improvement in this area.

The term "Web 2.0" refers to second-generation Internet applications. These online applications and services are generally rich in user experience and allow for users to also become contributors (wikis) or participants (e-commerce site reviews, blogs). Often, Web 2.0 tools are collaborative, socially-oriented and are perceived to be personally enjoyable and beneficial (social network sites like Facebook).