Widespread Adoption of Wireless Devices Reported;
The survey, conducted in October 2000 by Ipsos-Reid for Burntsand Inc., a leading North American e-Business solutions integrator, also revealed a high level of concern among users about the security and privacy of their wireless communications. It is the first such survey combining Canadian and U.S. responses.
"Our survey shows that the majority of North Americans have already been touched by the growing world of mobile wireless communications (m-commerce) in their business and personal lives," said Tom Healey, Chief Marketing Officer for Burntsand. "The survey also reveals quite clearly, the perception by users that this rapid growth has been outpacing the ability of business to implement adequate security measures for m-commerce."
The survey indicated that the majority of North Americans - 55 percent - have used a wireless device, with 91 percent of those respondents having used a cellular telephone.
Over 56 percent of North American wireless users reported they conduct business conversations, and 16.5 percent said they transmit or receive email via wireless communication. Additionally, 14.5 percent of wireless users said they have completed a financial transaction using a wireless device.
More than seven in 10 - 75 percent - of wireless users said they were "very" or "somewhat" concerned about the level of security with wireless communication. More than half believe that wireless is less secure than traditionally connected communication devices, while 28 percent said they believed wireless communication to be "more than," or "just as" secure as traditional methods.
Despite these concerns, close to 22 percent of wireless device users report they have transmitted either a personal identification number (PIN) or a bank account access code over a wireless device.
Surprisingly, just under half of those surveyed erroneously believed their wireless service provider should be responsible for security of their communications, while 23.5 percent said the institution performing the transaction should be responsible, and nearly one-quarter held themselves responsible. In fact, commercial web sites and institutions such as banks and brokers have legal responsibility for the security of transactions, not the service providers.
Other survey highlights include:
- Fewer than half - 48.5 percent - of those using wireless devices were aware of data encryption or understand the meaning of the term. Encryption is a means of scrambling messages or data in a form that only an authorized recipient can decode.
- Nearly 20 percent of people using wireless devices use them to check their bank balances, 17 percent use them to buy or sell goods, and four percent use wireless devices to buy or sell stocks.
- Eighteen percent of wireless device users reported their wireless device had been lost or stolen and eight percent of these respondents reported having lost business data as a result.
- Thirty-six percent of those using wireless devices for business purposes reported their companies do not have a policy on the communication of confidential information.
- Pagers are used by 28 percent of North American wireless users, while 10 percent of users report the use of wireless modems to transmit data.
- Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) comprise approximately 5 percent of wireless devices used but this number is expected to grow rapidly as the technology matures.
"In most cases, the usage level of each device appears to be dictated by the length of time it has been available in the market," Mr. Healey said. "The survey indicates increased usage as a new technology is accepted, followed by decreased usage as each becomes obsolete and is replaced by more advanced technology."
"The survey shows a substantial amount of business activity is occurring in the wireless environment, creating a need to examine the strategy businesses need to develop around the protection of corporate data", added Mr. Healey.
The survey was undertaken to determine the use and penetration of wireless communication in the exchange of business information and to assess the environment for mobile commerce. It is also the first in the new Burntsand Reality Series that will look at the enablers, inhibitors and developments that will constitute the next wave of e-Business.
The survey, involving 2,500 telephone interviews in the United States and Canada, revealed little difference in responses between the two countries, Mr. Healey said. One thousand interviews were conducted in the U.S. and 1,500 were conducted in Canada, producing results considered accurate plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Further details on the survey are available on request from Burntsand and on the Burntsand website.
About Burntsand
Burntsand is a Business-to-Business ("B2B") e-Business Solutions Integration firm that designs and implements e-Business computing solutions for Global mid to large-scale organizations. Burntsand produces e-Business solutions in what are known as customer facing, front office application areas generally categorized as e-Commerce, e-CRM (customer relationship management), Content Enhancement & Personalization, and e-BI (business intelligence). Burntsand e-Services encompass the strategy, technical, and creative disciplines required to define and implement these e-Business solutions. Our customers tend to fall into two broad categories: established businesses wishing to create new channels or extend reach through utilizing "e" strategies and technologies, and emerging startups and their financial partners possessed with an extreme sense of urgency to launch their e-Business concept ahead of their competition. Headquartered in Vancouver, Burntsand operates from ten North American locations. The company trades on the Toronto stock exchange (TSE) under the symbol BRT, Burntsand's website address is www.burntsand.com.
For more information please contact:
Tom Healey
Chief Marketing Officer
416-234-3804
or
Melinda Frank
Chief Marketing Officer
Argyle Rowland Worldwide
416-968-7311 (231)
