TORONTO, Can. – Vendors and analysts may be touting the value of social media in the workplace, but a majority of companies are still resisting, according to a new study.

The study, The ‘Killer Apps 2012’ report was compiled by Easynet and Ipanema Technologies, and was .based upon online field research conducted in March and April 2012 with 550 unique respondents consisting of CIOs, IT directors, IT managers and network managers employed within large businesses.

The data, which came as a surprise to the companies, indicate that CIOs continue to shun the benefits of social media for business. The “Killer Apps 2012” research showed that 67 percent of CIOs and IT directors block Facebook, 60 percent block YouTube, 49 percent block Twitter, and 56 percent block all online video. The companies say that means CIOs risk alienating customers, creating ineffective marketing strategies, demotivating staff and eliminating their competitive edge by not embracing social media.

“It’s a risky business to block social media networks, and I’m genuinely shocked at the statistic showing how many companies do this,” said Lisa Myers, CEO of SEO & Social Media agency Verve Search. “The return on investment for social media is that your business will still be here in five years’ time. Half the human race is under 30, and has never known a world without the Internet. For these people the Internet, and social media along with it, is a way of life. Businesses need to embrace power of social media, and use it to improve their staff retention and their customer experience, not fight against it.”

“This ‘Killer Apps 2012’ study reinforces a trend we’ve been seeing among CIOs and IT directors across North America, and it’s our hope that the insights spotlighted here move this IT management community to take steps to accept and address the impact social media on business today,” said Beatrice Piquer Durand, Vice President of Marketing for Ipanema. “This research is especially timely given the role social media is playing around the Olympics, as more and more workers turning to these online channels for the latest updates on their favorite events.”

“The gap between Generation X and Generation Y is becoming a chasm,” said Justin Fielder, Easynet’s CTO. “This isn’t just about attracting and retaining young talent, it’s about how best to create a dialogue with, and retain, your customers. Social media is oxygen to anyone under 30, and it is vital for communication, education and information. It has huge implications on business success. Business leaders — usually Generation X — have to understand this or they will find the future of their business in jeopardy.”

Thierry Grenot, Executive Vice President at Ipanema Technologies, said Microsoft’s recent purchase of business social networking site Yammer demonstrates the importance of social networking in the workplace.

“Many of the anticipated challenges caused by employee usage of social media such as its impact on the corporate network have been solved, so it’s time for CIOs to look again at their policies in this area,” Grenot said.

Fielder agreed. “A few of our customers have expressed concerns about the blurring of the network edge when staff want to use their own devices to access social media, but there are simple precautions they can take without the need for drastic measures like blocking social media access,” he said.

Fielder and Grenot suggest CIOs carry out an ‘Application Performance Audit’ on their corporate network so that IT departments have a clear view of network traffic, its business priority and its bandwidth implications.

This column was written by Mark Cox of ConnectIT, an IntegratedMar.Com