One of the questions that drove our research in Entefy’s Digital Interaction & Modern Communication report was straightforward: Just how many different digital devices do professionals use to communicate and collaborate? The answer was interesting because of what it tells us about how professionals are finding their edge these days. The survey queried a representative sample of 1,500 U.S. professionals evenly distributed in age from 18 to 65 and geographically distributed across the country in small and large cities alike. Survey respondents were from dynamic professional environments like the Healthcare, Technology, Financial Services, and Legal industries where technology use can lead to personal and organizational advantages.
The survey results were indeed telling. On average, respondents make use of 3.4 different devices (computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc.) with 62% of those who completed the survey using between 3 and 4 technology devices. Just 2.7% of respondents get by with only 1 device.
The data suggests that digital technology is in many ways stuck in an awkward middle school stage—so much potential, yet so much more development still to go. Our research uncovered evidence that professionals are using many different devices in their work, suggesting that the tools we’re all using (hardware and software both) aren’t quite “there” yet. After all, professionals create and manage highly individualized digital ecosystems of devices, apps, and services to meet the demands of their work. Necessity is, apparently, the mother of device use.
You can read more about Entefy’s survey on modern communication in the complete research report.