06
magazine
agenda
Smartphone users are
more conscientious
Smartphone users are more
productive, more conscientious
and are always looking for ways to
improve their performance, according
to a new study by BlackBerry and GfK.
The study found that 69% of business
smartphone users are “constantly looking
for new ways to get things done as
efficiently as possible”, and that when
it comes to completing tasks 65% of
business smartphone users say it is
important to have a “substantial impact”
on the outcome of their work and to
gain a greater sense of achievement in
what they do.
Mobile phones at risk
Each year, 190,000 mobile phones are
left in the back of London’s 24,000
black cabs – and half of them are
unlocked, leaving confidential data at
risk. Mark James of internet security
provider ESET, which carried out the
research, said: “Cybercriminals are well
aware of the fact that our mobiles
contain connections to corporate
networks and sensitive information
and they will take advantage of this.
Consumers should as an absolute
minimum use a password to protect
their device in case it is ever lost.
However, a good security posture
would include encryption and a remote
wipe facility.”
Morning meetings are more effective than ones held in the
afternoon and cause less disruption to the working day,
according to new research by The Deck at the National
Theatre.
In a survey to mark London Breakfast Meetings Week (LBMW),
71% of people agreed or strongly agreed that breakfast
meetings have better outcomes than ones held later
in the day. Seven out of 10 (72%) said they are
more alert and enthusiastic at breakfast events and
65% find it easier to concentrate. Three-quarters
think short breakfast meetings cause less disruption.
Even so, 88% of those surveyed say that less than half
of the meetings they attend actually take place in the
morning.
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Work email knows
no limits
Work email is eating into the personal lives
of UK office workers, with 41% of employees
checking email in their free time at least
once a day and an additional 10.6% keeping a
constant check on their email before and after
work, at week-ends and on days off. Almost
two thirds (64%) check email when on holiday.
The study by Opinion Matters for GFI Software
found that 6.4% have checked email during a
wedding ceremony, 4.1% at school events, 2.6%
at a funeral and 1.5% while their partner was
giving birth.
The use of smartphones 24/7 means that it is
becoming harder to resist the temptation to check
one’s email. Almost one in five (18%) of those
surveyed now uses a smartphone or tablet as their
primary device for sending and receiving email.
Sergio Galindo, general manager of the
Infrastructure Business Unit at GFI Software, says
that despite blurring the boundaries between work
and personal time, email is still viewed positively.
“The plus side is that despite the substantial
encroachment of email into people’s personal
lives, people continue to view email positively,
with 85% of those surveyed considering email to
be a blessing rather than a curse, which is a great
endorsement of the technology and the way it
is has transformed both business and personal
communications,” he said.
gfi.com/documents/email-habits-survey.zip
Citrix heralds time-warping megatrend
Citrix has released a new report looking at how the most successful organisations and individuals
will use technology over the next five years.
Technology Landscape 2019
highlights three megatrends shaping the future of work. These are:
1
Employees will drive the future workspace experience – the demand from employees for anywhere, any
device and any time working practices;
2
Personal digital advantage will drive success – the mastering of modern technology by the most able
employees in order to achieve seamless multi-device experiences, enhanced attention and information
management, speed learning, real-time digital assistance and time-warping through automation; and
3
Technology abundance enables the creative revolution – the use technology to contribute more to
society e.g. through sharing economies like AirBnB or crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter.
The report can be dowloaded from
.
The new BlackBerry Passport is designed
to maximise productivity with a large
4.5in square touch screen and a new
QWERTY touch-enabled keyboard.
Morning meetings less disruptive
Could the
Banish Bag
solve the
problem of
smartphone addiction? Created by Leon Edwards,
group managing director of security pouch supplier
Versapak, these zipped bags are secured with
a tamper-evident closure that can’t be opened
without breaking the seal. Each one is numbered so
you can see instantly whether someone has given
in to their craving. Banish Bags come in two sizes
and a range of colours and can be personalised with
your own message. Prices start at £15.
