Service Providers of the Information Society - Mobile Devices Are On the Rise

Mobile devices like smartphones or tablet PCs are being used in many firms today. These devices make it possible for the mobile users to access the internet and internet-based services and applications everywhere. In the economic sector service providers of the information society, 68 percent of firms are using smartphones and 67 percent of firms are using web-enabled mobile phones. Around 63 percent of firms have PC cards modems for notebooks and 32 percent of firms report that they are using tablet personal computers. These are the findings of a survey among the service providers of the information society, conducted by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) Mannheim in cooperation with Creditreform, Neuss, in September 2010 (see details at the end of press release).

The economic sector service providers of the information society consists of ICT service providers, including software businesses, IT services, ICT specialised trade and telecommunication services, and knowledge-intensive service providers, including tax consultancy, accounting, management consultancy, architectural offices, technical consultancy and planning, research and development as well as advertising companies. "In the different industries of this economic sector, the telecommunication services in particular are frequently using mobile devices, especially tablet PCs," explains Miruna Sarbu, ZEW researcher.

Wireless PC cards for notebooks are mainly used in the software and IT services, research and development and advertising. More than 74 percent of firms in all these industries are using PC card modems. Smartphones and web-enabled mobile phones are used in the whole sector. Technical consultants and planners with only some 53 and 55 percent of firms, respectively, using these devices are the ones who least use mobile devices.

The economic suvey conducted by the ZEW/Creditreform

About 900 businesses each participate in the quarterly survey. The economic sector service providers of the information society consists of information and communication technology-(ICT) service providers (businesses of the branches software and IT-services, ICT specialized trade and telecommunication services) and knowledge intensive service providers (businesses of the branches tax consultancy and accounting, business consultancy, architectural offices, technical consultancy and planning, research and development and advertising).

Overview of the ZEW/Creditreform economy survey (German language)

Comment on the projection

To ensure the representativity of the analyses, the ZEW projects the answers of the participants of the survey with the number of all businesses in the branch considered.

For further information please contact

Miruna Sarbu, Phone: +49 (0)621/1235-334, E-mail: sarbu@zew.de