European Broadband Users are Ready for a 'Connected Life'

90 per Cent of European Broadband Users are Ready for a 'Connected Life'

According to new research from the Cisco® Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG), broadband users in Western Europe may be even more interested in living 'The Connected Life' than U.S. consumers, and many are willing to pay for the value a service like this can provide. Ninety-percent of European broadband users expressed an interest in a connected life service - anytime, anywhere access to all household digital media content - compared to only 77 per cent in the U.S. Furthermore, 42 per cent are willing to spend €3.5 euros per month to enable easy management of and access to their household digital content, yet they struggle to find the right innovative solution which is simple, quick to install and highly secure.

This view was part of the findings from the Cisco IBSG Connected Consumer study for Western Europe. To conduct the study, researchers selected a hypothetical service as part of a broader connected life service offering, and then canvassed the views of 1,500 broadband users across France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K. The connected life service would enable the storage, management and use of all of a household's digital media and content via any device, and at anytime or place. The suggested household content includes TV, films, the household calendar and address book, digital photos, video clips and music.

Whilst the concept of ubiquitous connectivity has been discussed for more than a decade, the study shows that the cumulative impact of technology over this time has created a change in consumer behaviour that has primed the market for today. Not only do nearly 90 per cent of broadband consumers enjoy technology, investing in various devices such as mobile phones, personal computers and MP3 players, but 43 per cent credit this technology with giving them the freedom to live their life the way they want to, and 52 per cent believe technology helps them to be more productive and organised.

With the average respondent spending more than 4 hours each day on the go, away from work or home, the ability to communicate with others, enjoy digital entertainment, and access electronically stored information is highly valued. Collaboration anytime, anywhere is essential with 56 per cent of respondents indicating that they want to stay connected to family and friends at all times and 78 per cent of the respondents checking their e-mail wherever possible.

"It is clear that European consumers are changing the way they live and play. They are carrying laptops, PDAs and mobile phones as productivity tools and MP3 players for listening to music, whilst using wireless networks to stay connected," commented Simon Aspinall, Managing Director, Service Provider, Cisco IBSG. "Europeans are also adopting these advanced technologies and new media applications even faster than U.S. consumers. As Web 2.0 offers more open and collaborative technologies, the demand from European consumers for ground- breaking connected solutions has now reached a critical mass."

see also The Connected Life