Survey Shows 88% of Cost-Conscious IT Professionals would Ditch the Desk Phone

PRLog (Press Release) - Dec 11, 2008 -
London – OnRelay today published results from a survey revealing the personal business tools IT professionals couldn’t be without, and the equipment they would give up as corporate budgets tighten.  Their answers show a clear preference for the mobile office, and question corporate spend on technologies that those in IT have already left behind.  

OnRelay surveyed 330 IT professionals across UK enterprise.  Reflecting today’s tougher economic choices, they were asked to select the four office IT tools they see as essential - out of a list of eight items.

Those surveyed were asked to choose from: the laptop; desktop PC; virtual private network (VPN) access; mobile phone; Blackberry™; desk phone; video conferencing; or their own personal desk.  

The top three items chosen by the IT professionals were all mobile office technologies.  The laptop came in as the most essential item – making the must-have list of 88% of respondents.  The mobile phone came second at 74% of respondents, followed by VPN access (69%).  

The least chosen items emphasise the low priority that end-users place on fixed desktop equipment.  The office desk phone was the tool those questioned were most willing to give up, with only 18% listing the desk phone as essential.  This is akin to the 20% who prioritised a desktop PC, and the 22% who chose video conferencing as a must-have.  

OnRelay’s survey provides insight into IT professionals’ disengagement with desktop tools.  Although the majority of those questioned (87%) currently had an office desk phone, if given the choice, 88% said they would choose the mobile as their one business phone.

The underuse of the desk phone is already apparent from the fact that only 3% of those surveyed said they forwarded their calls to mobile when away from their desk.  A full 54% of IT professionals admitted to never forwarding their desk phone calls, whilst only 10% forward their calls when away from the office.          

“This survey shows that IT decision makers want wireless, use wireless, and will lead the drive to cut the cord as budgets tighten,” comments OnRelay, CFO Marie Wold.  “Costly desk phones will rapidly be phased out of IT budgets to be replaced by mobile-only telephony.  The current economic climate is accelerating this shift towards mobile integration in the corporate.”              




Press contact
Jane Johnston, OnRelay
+44 207 902 8143
Jane.Johnston@onrelay.com
www.onrelay.com