PCs are the next most likely to become redundant according to 62 per cent of CIOs. In contrast, smartphones (13 per cent) are seen as the least likely devices to be abandoned.
By the end of 2012, 70 per cent of the UK is expected to have a smart device reliant on mobile connectivity. Because of this 24 hour demand for data on the move, in the past year the amount of data consumed on the Virgin Media Business network jumped to 765 billion individual bits of data being transferred every second. This has smashed the previous mark for the Virgin Media Business network by more than a quarter (27 per cent).
Tony Grace, Chief Operating Officer of Virgin Media Business, said: “The pace of change with technology is having a transformative effect on the way we work. A decade ago it would have been unthinkable to suggest an office without telephones. Now it’s hard to imagine being separated from our smartphones.
“Mobile connections to the internet are getting better by the day. Commuters in London can now access WiFi under the streets of the city at stations across the Underground network. Almost everywhere we go we’re able to check-in at the office, social networking sites, or simply contact friends and family everywhere we go. Because of this, businesses have recognised the importance of the mini computers that smartphones have essentially become.
“This is leading us to rely increasingly on our smartphones and less on our landlines. The sophistication of mobile technology is also having an impact on the PC. It’s never been easier to work on the move, making stationary PCs significantly less useful than laptop counterparts. However, tablet technology still has a long way to go to justify itself and sit alongside smartphones as essential business equipment.”