Wireless Will Deliver Next Big Productivity Boost, Says Global Survey

Tech-savvy home computer users say the Internet has been the single-most important innovation contributing to improving productivity in the past half-century and they predict that wireless networks will have the biggest impact on productivity in the next five years.

That's according to the results of a new international survey commissioned by Lexmark International Inc. and conducted by global pollster Ipsos. The online survey of Ipsos panelists comprised 9,000 respondents from 18 countries.

Considering a wide range of innovations over the past 50 years, respondents said the following have had the most significant impact in terms of saving them time and increasing their productivity (up to three responses were possible):

• Internet - 60 percent

• Personal computers/laptops - 50 percent

• Mobile phones - 43 percent

• E-mail - 23 percent

• Cars and motorcycles - 22 percent.

In the coming five years, respondents predicted the following will have the most significant impact on productivity and saving time (up to three responses were possible):

• Wireless networks - 50 percent

• Greater computing speed - 44 percent

• Smart cards - 41 percent

• Internet/broadband - 40 percent

• All forms of portable computing - 39 percent.

"Wireless is the technology wave of the future and our new wireless printers will ensure that consumers can catch the wave easily, securely and affordably," said Najib Bahous, Lexmark vice president and president of its Consumer Printer Division.

Forty percent of respondents to the Lexmark survey said they already have a wireless network at home (Internet or any other connectivity solution made possible by the use of wireless routers, including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi) and, of those, 80 percent said they were more productive because of their wireless network.

Those who presently have a wireless network cited the following as the main benefits (up to three responses were possible):

• Flexibility/mobility - 84 percent

• Ability to share information among computers or printers on the network - 46 percent

• Time savings - 30 percent

• Cost savings - 24 percent

• Ability to stream music or video over the network - 21 percent.

Respondents who have wireless networks said the activities most frequently performed on their wireless networks were as follows (up to three responses were possible):

• Connecting to the Internet - 92 percent

• Moving around the home while connected - 61 percent

• Connecting devices - 60 percent

• Printing - 49 percent

• Working from home - 47 percent.

Respondents who already have wireless networks were remarkably positive about their experiences with 42 percent saying they had no problems or frustrations at all with their wireless networks. Twenty percent had problems with dropped connections and 19 percent with slow speeds.

Of the 60 percent of respondents who said they do not presently have a home wireless network, more than half of those (53 percent) said they plan to invest in one. Six out of 10 (58 percent) said a "good offer" would convince them to move forward with installation while four out of 10 (39 percent) said a clear understanding of all of the benefits of a wireless network would convince them to install a wireless network.