The Egg Index: 59% Of Britons Now Using Interactive Technologies

Egg/MORI report sees around 1 million new users of online banking since October -- now at c. 6.6 million users

"Technology is increasingly helping to enrich our lives. The internet, e-mail and text message are all parts of today's vocabulary and as consumer confidence grows with transacting online, the world wide web will become an integral part of everyday life for all."

Patrick Muir, Marketing Director, Egg UK

The latest Egg/MORI 'Embracing Technology' Report, issued today, reveals Britons continue to demonstrate a voracious appetite for technologies such as the internet, email and instant messaging. But more than that, the nation displays strong faith in technology making a real difference to their lives, whether through the invention of cars running on a renewable, cheap resource or being able to make payments through mobile phones.

Key Highlights:

• The Egg Index: 59% of the British adult population -- or around 27 million people -- now use interactive technologies (internet, digital TV or WAP mobile phone) for personal use (October 2001: 54%).
• We are confirming our status as a nation of digital bankers: approximately 6.6 million Britons now bank online (October 2001: approx 5.5 million).
• Click happy: Internet use continues to rise fast with 45% of the British public -- or around 20 million -- now using the internet for personal use (October 2001: 42%). A further 1 in 10 envisage accessing it within the next two years, indicating sound growth potential for online financial services.
• Cheque's in the dustbin: A third of all adults (31%) say they would be interested in being able to make payments to individuals or pay bills to businesses using email, as a faster and more efficient alternative to posting cheques. This figure grows to a half (54%) among email users.
• Account Aggregation: Over a third of all adults (37%) say they would be interested in account aggregation facilities in the next 2 years.
• Online financial servicing: Half of internet users (around 10 million adults) say they have either arranged or serviced a financial product over the internet.

The Egg Index -- measuring the change in interactive technology use

Between October 2001 and February 2002, the Egg Index has recorded an increase of around 2 million British adults using interactive technologies (internet, digital TV or a WAP mobile phone) for personal use. There are now approximately 27 million adults using either the internet, digital TV or WAP. Internet penetration has reached 45% of British adults, up from 42% in October, an increase of around 1 million new users.

For the first time, this report examines the uptake of instant messaging on the internet. Instant messaging allows internet users to have virtual conversations online in real time. This is claimed to be used by around 6 million people, or 14% of adults in Britain, already. Uptake grows to 52% amongst experienced internet users -- those that have been online for 5 years or more -- and 31% among all internet users, indicating this online tool is one to watch.

A gaping gulf in technology uptake between Cardiff and Croydon

Amidst the continued uptake of these technologies, there are some strong regional differences in terms of usage levels. For instance, 56% of those living in the South East (excluding London), and 50% of Londoners, use the internet -- compared to only 23% in Wales. A similar pattern is evident for email usage. While 16% of all British adults claim to use laptop PCs, this rises to one-quarter among Londoners, and falls to just 5% in Wales.

A nation of online bankers

Continuing to grow in harmony with the growth of the internet universe is the number of people banking online. The Egg Report has seen a growth of around 1.1 million people doing this in the four months since October 2001 alone. This compares to a growth of around 1.5 million between April and October last year, as shown in our previous report.

Uptake of online financial products

The findings show that half of internet users say they have now either bought or serviced a financial product over the internet. This amounts to around 10 million British adults. Looking forward, there is a huge growth potential for online financial services; 52% of internet users say they would consider arranging some sort of financial product over the internet in the next two years.

Aggregating our finances online

With almost half (45%) of British adults now online, the internet has truly penetrated our lives, and we have reached a stage where we are hungry to conduct a greater part of our day-to-day lives online. The most popular future financial tool to be surveyed amongst our representative sample of British adults is account aggregation. Over a third of all adults (37%) -- some 17 million people -- say they would be interested in being able to view and access all the financial products they hold with all their providers, using a single internet site and one log-in, in the next 2 years.

Amongst internet users this figure rises to an even higher proportion -- 61%, and to three-quarters (75%) among those who currently use online banking.

Patrick Muir, Marketing Director, Egg UK observes:

"The advent of online banking did away with queuing at branches and allowed people to service their finances any time of the day or night. This report reveals consumers expect the internet to continue to improve their lives even further, with the introduction of account aggregation services that allow them to manage their whole financial lives online."

Cheque's in the post? No thanks -- we want speed payments

The humble cheque may die a death at the hands of modern technology. Being developed today is a faster, more efficient payment requiring only the touch of a button. Over half (54%) of email users -- and 31% of all adults -- say they would be interested in the ability to make payments to individuals or pay bills to businesses using email in the next two years.

Braving the battle of the bulge

Carrying wallets laden with heavy change, or being caught without a penny, are annoyances that one in five of us may want to do away with. The Egg Report shows 19% of all adults would be interested in making payments from mobile phones using SMS text messaging in the next two years, rising to 34% amongst those who currently use text messaging.

Going for green!

Interestingly, the report shows that although we are not yet ready to give up our cars, we would be very keen to use a solution to the problem of both financially and environmentally expensive fuel. Two-thirds of all adults say they would like to see cars running on a renewable, cheap resource such as oxygen, mud or even CO2.

Furthermore, despite the fact that people clearly love getting around in cars, the notion of having computerised cars that don't need drivers and cannot crash appeals to 30% of all adults.

Forget the stiff upper lip -- could Britain be a more gregarious nation than it is thought?

Whereas the English are often represented as being socially reserved, the Egg report reveals a very different side to us. Nearly half (46%) of us would like to see video phones -- a device which allowed you to see and be seen by the people you are speaking to on the phone. This equates to around 21 million people.

A third (32%) of the working population say they sometimes work from home

The data finds that in Britain today around 8 million people (32% of those in full or part-time work) say they sometimes work from home. Furthermore, eight in ten of all those in work (84%) agree that information and communication technologies such as email and laptop computers mean that more and more people are likely to work from home in future. Although of course it has always been possible for some of us to work from home (writers, journalists, craftsmen etc.) technology looks set to enable a far larger proportion of the population to work from home.

Those who sometimes work from home -- together with those who do not currently do this but whose line of work means they could theoretically do so in future -- were asked what they think are or would be the advantages/disadvantages in working from home.

Ditch that season ticket?

The idea of not having to commute to work -- either through driving or public transport -- appeals to a resounding nine in ten, perhaps unsurprising in the current environment of train strikes.

Technology cures homeworkers from the sniffles

Nearly half (48%) cite a key advantage in working from home as not catching colds or viruses on the commute or at work, and not passing these on to colleagues. Although this misanthropic sentiment seems to endorse the stereotype of Britons as an unsociable race, in fact a larger proportion (68%) cite missing their colleagues and the social life at work as a key disadvantage of working from home.

Nevertheless, many see clear advantages in working from home, with a huge 83% citing more flexible working hours and 73% a better work/life balance.

More women on their way to the board?

Associated with the firm belief that technology may liberate workers from the constraints of the office, is the view that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) will help women to break through the career glass ceiling. Of all working adults 49% agree that ICTs such as lap-tops and email will help women to one day reach equality with men on pay and status in the workplace. Interestingly, and predictably perhaps, women are less likely to agree with this than men.

Professor Sir Robert Worcester, Chairman of MORI observes:

"The Egg Report continues to present a snapshot of a nation that is increasingly technology savvy and adventurous. The longer people are online the more likely they are to be interested in new financial tools such as account aggregation".

• Egg/MORI 'Embracing Technology' Report pdf 165K

Technical details

MORI conducted a total of 1,965 interviews with a nationally representative sample of adults aged 16+ across Great Britain. All interviews were conducted face-to-face, in-home between 7th and 13th February 2002. The data were weighted to reflect the national profile.

Where figures do not sum to 100 per cent this may be due to computer rounding, multiple codes or exclusion of 'Don't Know'.

Throughout this report, comparisons are made with the last Egg report -- 'Embracing Technology' published December 2001. A total of 1,959 interviews were conducted face-to-face, in home between 18th and 24th October 2001.