Norwegian employees want their own choice of mobile phone and computer equipment
(Oslo, 22 September 2011) Employees of Norwegian companies are no longer content
to let their employer decide which mobile phone and computer equipment they use
for their work. In a survey carried out by Synovate for EDB ErgoGroup, 77% of
respondents said that they would prefer to make their own choice of mobile phone
for work rather than letting their employer decide for them. Around 60% of
respondents said that they would like to make their own choice of PC and tablet
device.
"There is a clear trend for employees to expect to choose the equipment they use
for their work, and they also want this equipment to be available for private
use. It is now the case that employees are adopting new technology more quickly
than their employers. This means that their private use of mobile phones, the
internet and technical equipment is becoming a driving force for the technology
used at work. This is a new phenomenon", comments Terje Mjøs, CEO of EDB
ErgoGroup.
Terje Mjøs believes that Norwegian employers should take these signals
seriously, and points out that many employers will find it necessary to update
their IT strategies in this area. "While Norwegian consumers are becoming ever
more technologically mature, Norwegian businesses are proving slow to respond to
this phenomenon", says Terje Mjøs.
Almost 8 out of 10 Norwegians want to make their own choices
As part of a survey commissioned by EDB ErgoGroup, Synovate asked Norwegian
consumers for their views on choosing the mobile phone, IT equipment and
technology they use at work. 77% of respondents said that they would prefer to
make their own choice of mobile phone for work, while only 17% were happy for
their employer to choose for them. 60% of respondents said that they would like
to make their own choice of PC, with 34% leaving this to their employer. The
equivalent figures for tablet devices were 57% and 29%. The categories with the
highest preferences to make their own choices were male respondents, people with
higher education and those under 40 years of age.
Of the respondents who wanted to make their own choices, the most important
reason given was the opportunity to choose an alternative that was suitable for
their private use. In addition, many respondents felt that they understood what
they needed better than their employer.
Consumers take control at work
"Consumers have now overtaken employers in terms of their ability and
willingness to adopt new technology", says Terje Mjøs, who adds: "Almost
everyone in Norway is on Facebook and other social media, people are using smart
phones to talk to each other and communicate with the world, and they are using
tablets rather than PCs to surf the net. It used to be the case that people
learnt about new technology at work and took these skills home with them, but
now it is their personal use of technology that is setting the pace and creating
new expectations for technology in the workplace".
In international circles this phenomenon is known as consumerisation, and
according to the research firm Gartner it will represent one of the most
important IT challenges for employers in the years ahead.
Almost 30% believe that their employer is lagging behind in use of tablet
devices, social media and smart phones
The survey also identified a general view that employers were reasonably good at
keeping up-to-date on technological developments for PCs, but many respondents
felt that their employers were lagging well behind in making use of social
media, tablet devices and smart phones. Between 25% and 30% of respondents said
that their employers were poor or quite poor at keeping up with the pace of
technological development in these areas seen in society at large. The
equivalent figure for PCs was 15%.
For further information, please contact:
Terje Mjøs, CEO, EDB ErgoGroup. Tel: +47 06500
Torgeir Kristiansen, Information Director Corporate Communications, EDB
ErgoGroup.
Tel: +47 901 27 909
About EDB ErgoGroup
EDB ErgoGroup ASA is one of the leading Nordic IT companies, with some 10,000
employees and annual turnover of NOK 12.4 billion. The company is listed on the
Oslo Stock Exchange and operates from headquarters in Oslo with major activities
in both the Norwegian and Swedish markets. In all, the company operates from
135 offices in 16 countries around the world.
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Source: EDB ErgoGroup ASA via Thomson Reuters ONE
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