More than 60% of people say technology can help them get more organized and save more time
HONG KONG – February 21, 2013 — The Public Opinion Programme at the University of Hong Kong (HKUPOP) conducted a Modern Family Lifestyle Survey in January 2013, commissioned by Microsoft. The survey findings reveal that Hong Kong families are highly digitized and user families on average are using more than 5 personal computers and/or mobile devices (such as desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones) at home. More than 60% of respondents from these families agree technology can help them get more organized, and they feel that ultimately they can save an average of 1.5 hours a day if they can become more organized in managing personal matters. More than half of the respondents also said they are willing to use money to buy an extra hour each day, and they are willing to pay more than $1,000 on average to buy an extra hour.
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| The Hong Kong Modern Family Lifestyle Survey reveal that Hong Kong families are highly digitized and user families on average are using more than 5 personal computers and/or mobile devices (such as desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones) at home |
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Major survey findings include: –
- 96% of the user families have either broadband or Wi-Fi coverage at home.
- On average, Hong Kong families that use PCs or mobile devices consist of 3.5 members and have more than five devices at home (including desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones).
- Almost 40% have three or more Internet-connected desktop (PC/Mac/laptop) devices, while 65% have three or more mobile devices.
- On average, people in these families spend 2.8 hours a day using Internet-connected PCs or Macs and 35% of that time on work or education.
- The top five< applications used include: looking for information (56%); entertainment (40%); keeping in touch with friends/relatives/colleagues (31%); emailing (30%); and networking via social media (26%).
- Around 60% of these people consider it important to access and share information flexibly using different devices throughout the day.
- More than 60% of these people agree that technology can help them get more organized and thus save time.
- The top two tasks for which these people need an effective IT tool are: sending and receiving emails (65%), and organizing events with friends/family (49%).
- More than 70% of these people have family, friends and/or business connections abroad and will use web-based instant messaging and video conferencing tools to communicate with them.
- Skype is the most-used tool to stay connected and one-third of respondents use Skype for video or voice conversation with families, friends and business connections abroad.
- More than 60% of these people think they can manage their personal matters effectively and can find time to doing things they love, and most of them also agree that technology can help them get more organized and thus save time.
- These people feel they can save around 1.5 hours a day on average if they can become more organized in managing personal matters.
- Over half of those surveyed spend less than $500 per month on subscriptions for informational services.
- More than half of the respondents also said they are willing to use money to buy an extra hour each day, and they are willing to pay more than $1,000 on average to buy an extra hour.
“This survey reveals that the popularity of personal computers and mobile devices in Hong Kong families is very high, indicating that Hong Kong is a highly digital city. Hong Kong families broadly appreciate the benefits that technology brings and believe that technology can help them get more organized. More and more, personal computers and mobile devices are playing an important role in the home and work life of local families,” said Dr Robert Chung, Director of the Public Opinion Programme at the University of Hong Kong.
“These days, Hong Kong families and consumers generally are relying more and more on information technology and mobile devices. It is important for technology to work across all devices and provide users with a consistent and seamless user experience, so that they can access information, share updates and edit documents flexibly on different devices throughout the day,” commented Joelle Woo, Marketing and Operations Director of Microsoft Hong Kong. “With the increasing importance of social networking and overseas communications, applications today need to have stronger direct connections with social media and seamlessly integrate multimedia online tools for much closer communications.”
“The lines between home and work are blurring. Hong Kong people spend 2 to 3 hours each day using personal computers and mobile devices, mostly for work or education. With cloud services they can conveniently store and share information, and the benefits of using cloud will be unprecedented. We believe the cloud trend will extend beyond business to consumers, helping them to enjoy a better work-life balance”.
“Microsoft’s newly-launched Office 365 Home Premium is designed to help people be more productive from virtually anywhere and find the flexibility to do the things they want – all for HK$780 for an annual subscription, which is as low as HK$2 per day. We believe this is an attractive offer for busy families and individuals in Hong Kong looking to greatly enhance their productivity,” added Ms Woo.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
About POP
The Public Opinion Programme (POP) was established in June 1991 to collect and study public opinion on topics which could be of interest to academics, journalists, policy-makers and the general public. POP was at first under the Social Sciences Research Centre, a unit under the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Hong Kong, and was transferred to the Journalism and Media Studies Centre in the University of Hong Kong in May 2000. In January 2002, it was transferred back to the Faculty of Social Sciences in The University of Hong Kong.
