The Cisco® Visual Networking Index (VNI) Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update reveals that the number of mobile devices in use will soon outnumber people on earth. According to this study, an average person owns five devices between home and work. An average business person maintains at least three Internet connected devices.
Forbes has collected some interesting facts from the study. About 40 percent of people surveyed said that they prefer doing business on an Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) device. The study revealed that women are more likely to share their personal phone number than men. About 58 percent of respondents said that they text at least once a month for business purposes. But 66 percent of the respondents don’t like listening to voicemail from business contacts.
Security is the key here, reveals the survey. Just a single security vulnerability and people will change the way they use their mobile devices, or will stop using the device altogether. In case of a security breach, 78 percent of the respondents will stop using important services like online banking, 57 percent will stop texting, and over 50 percent said they would stop viewing work-related information.
The survey was commissioned by virtual phone number service eVoice. Despite the rising number of devices in their pockets, people don’t like sharing their personal phone number. About 75 percent of respondents said that they wouldn’t share their personal contact number with staff, 82 percent hated sharing it with vendors and 81 percent declined to share with investors or partners.
It’s a cause of worry for businesses that want their employees to stay productive and competitive. Business executives are already suffering from information overload, and now they have mobile device overload as well. You might own an iPad, a laptop, a mobile phone, an iPod, and a portable desk phone. Not to forget the hands-free Bluetooth headset, chargers, cords, accessories, and what not. And each device requires some time commitment. God knows how they manage the sheer number of devices.
