Press release

Public sector workers demand better technology

• 93% welcome the introduction of new technology, but only 20% believe their current office infrastructure is adequate
• VoIP recognised as a positive driver for cost cutting, but there is low awareness of broader business benefits
• Only 2% of public sector departments using VoIP at present

17th February 2006. A report out today from ntl Business and YouGov shows that the Government’s focus on IT for modernisation is having a positive impact on workers in the Public Sector. The survey found that 93% of workers in the public sector welcome the installation of new technology to help them do their jobs better.

Public sector workers recognise technology as an enabler. 63% of those polled believed that technology would help them improve efficiency, nearly two thirds associated technology with providing better access to information and over a half thought it made the workplace more productive.

However only a fifth of those surveyed believed that they have entirely adequate tools to work effectively at present. For example only 2% have access to new technologies such as VoIP(Voice over IP).

The research polled low awareness of specific technologies. When asked about VoIP a third of public sector workers registered some understanding, however results showed that only 2% of respondents were actually benefiting from the technology at present. Only 4% believed that their organisation had plans to migrate to VoIP in the coming five years.

While four in 10 respondents understood that VoIP could lead to cost savings, few recognised its broader impact. Less than 10% identified that VoIP would help meet Government targets, only 15% thought it would improve customer service, and less than a fifth associated it with improving efficiency.

Looking to the future, organisations implementing new technologies as part of the new Government IT transformation strategy will face little resistance to change. More than half of those surveyed had no concerns about introducing new technologies in the workplace. Of the few barriers listed, approximately a fifth were concerned about time-consuming training required for new installations, 14% stated that technology goes out of date too quickly and one in 10 said they would be reluctant to have new technology installed because of the inconvenience caused.

Andy Irvine, Marketing Director, ntl Business commented: “The market is evolving rapidly and the uptake of VoIP within organisations is becoming an unstoppable trend in the search for streamlined operations. Customers are now trialling VoIP, and as a result, experiencing some of the broader benefits such as smarter working. The main barriers to wide spread adoption continue to be more of a perception than a reality -good planning of the migration path to VoIP, tailored to the specific needs of each organisation is key.”

Comparisons according to job function:

• Those in Central Government were least likely to see any barriers to new technology - in fact, 62% said they saw no barriers at all
• No one sector is further ahead in the installation of VoIP or in its plans for introducing the technology within the next five years
• Those in central Government are most likely to associate VoIP with cost cutting than any other sector (51%)
• The broader business benefits of VoIP were better appreciated by those in general management roles. This group was also most keen to see VoIP implemented (57%).

Regional differences showed:

• Those surveyed in Scotland were the most informed about the broader business benefits of VoIP, with 25% viewing it as a tool to increase efficiency
• Workers polled in the South were least likely to see the benefits of VoIP (39%)
• Workers and the West Midlands were most in favour of installing VoIP (48%)
• Workers polled in London (43%) and Scotland (47%) were most likely to see VoIP as a tool for cutting costs
• Public sector workers polled in the North of England have least access to VoIP at present (1%) and those in Scotland have highest (4%).