Typical Worker Carries 3.5 Devices

The typical worker now carries 3.5 devices, up from 2.7 in 2011. So whether tablets are displacing PCs of all types, or not, the typical mobile worker seems to feel a need to use more devices, than before, according to a new study by iPass.

Perhaps astoundingly, the study suggests 64 percent of enterprise mobile workers now carry a tablet, and could grow to nearly 80 percent within the next six months if respondents follow through on plans to buy tablets.

	2012	2011
Tablets	0.54	0.27
Laptops/Notebooks	1.32	1.01
Smartphones	1.05	0.97
Mobile Phones	0.37	0.32
Netbooks/Ultra	0.12	0.11
Other	0.07	n/a
Total	3.47	2.68

Figure 1. How many of each mobile device do you personally use for work?

The study still shows that the notebook PC remains the most effective device for multitasking for 62 percent of respondents.  Some 51 percent named the smart phone the best multitasking tool, while and tablets were seen as effective only in combination with another device for multitasking.


So much for the notion that one device can do it all.