Almost Everyone Wants Remote E-mail Access - Survey

Research carried out by Amarach Consulting on behalf of Vodafone Ireland shows that demand for services such as Vodafone's new unlimited 3G data tarrif is strong, with 24 percent of people who work outside the office (referred to as mobile workers) already taking advantage of remote access technologies, and 19 percent looking for the right tools to work remotely.

According to the study, which consisted of 300 interviews with employees and 210 employers who work outside the office and have a post paid mobile phone, a full 92% of mobile workers would like remote access to e-mail, while 73% would like Internet access. Other details in the study showed that 54% of respondents felt that mobile working would free them from the office, while 36% agreed that that it would make their job easier.

Other key results from the survey showed that:

• 22 percent of employers have advocated mobile working "fully" or "a lot";
• 14 percent of respondents say mobile working can help attract and retain staff;
• 21 percent of respondents argue that mobile working offers firms a competitive advantage;
• 33 percent of respondent said improved responsiveness is a key benefit of mobile working technologies;
• 19 percent of respondent said having more manageable working hours is a major advantage;
• 27 percent of respondent said more satisfied customers is a prime benefit of mobile working technologies.

"Amarach Consulting's research has also clearly shown that over 56 percent of employees are losing at least an hour a day downtime, with 26 percent losing between one and two hours per day," said Carolan Lennon, Marketing Director, Vodafone Ireland. "These hours are lost to travel, and waiting for meetings to begin, and other routine activities. Recouping this time would have major benefits not only to the companies and the overall economy, but to individuals who would have the opportunity to work in a flexible manner, enhancing their own work-life balance."

Posted to the site on 13th July 2006