Wi-Fi more important than sex, chocolate, alcohol: iPass report
Mobile professionals are addicted to Wi-Fi; connectivity impacts hotel, airline, other travel choices
The iPass Mobile Professional Report for 2016 revealed shocking results about the addiction to smartphones in today’s professional life. A survey report by iPass said over 1,700 mobile professionals globally revealed their connectivity habits and preferences, which highlighted the ever-increasing influence of Wi-Fi on our daily lives.
Forty per cent chose Wi-Fi as their number one daily essential, designating it as a higher priority than sex (37 per cent), chocolate (14 per cent) and alcohol (9 per cent). Seventy-five per cent said Wi-Fi has improved their quality of life. Sixty-three per cent prefer using Wi-Fi hotspots over mobile data. For 75 per cent, data is more important than minutes when choosing a cellular contract.
“We all want to stay connected and productive in our personal and professional lives. Mobile professionals, in particular, expect to remain connected at all times, whether at home, travelling between client meetings, at their hotel or even inflight,” said Patricia Hume, chief commercial officer of iPass.
For mobile professionals who don’t want to be stung by data bills or exorbitant roaming charges, Wi-Fi has become a travel essential, influencing hotel, airport and other travel choices. Seventy-two per cent chose hotels based on Wi-Fi experience, with 21 per cent saying they do so all the time. Thirty-five per cent stated Wi-Fi experience has influenced airline choice. Seventy-two per cent use free Wi-Fi at airports. Seventy-eight per cent never paid for airport Wi-Fi. “Mobile professionals are no longer content to sit and wait for their flights. Instead, want to remain productive or simply unwind during this valuable time,” continued Hume.
The survey also highlights the extent to which security remains the biggest obstacle to the use of free Wi-Fi and illustrates the difficulties companies have enforcing safe mobile use policies. One in two mobile professionals stated their company allows them to use a personal device to access corporate data/systems via public or remote Wi-Fi. Sixty-six per cent were worried about data security on free hotspots. However, 42 per cent still access company data using public Wi-Fi. Thirtyeight per cent never used a VPN. Only 9 per cent list corporate data loss as one of their main fears if their device were to be lost or stolen.
“Unfortunately, the priorities of companies and their employees seem to be worlds apart. Employees have vast troves of valuable data on their smartphones, but are considerably less concerned about losing sensitive data than they are about losing their personal info. It’s clear that companies still need to educate employees regarding mobile security. Ultimately, mobile professionals need to be equipped with tools to remain productive while ensuring security,” concluded Hume.