People use connected devices to be productive, actively engaging in a broad set of activities spread among their various devices. The use of smartphones for productivity is growing while the use of computers has flattened or is even in decline. Younger adults have embraced productivity activities, although Gen X and millennials use different types of devices to get things done.
This MetaFAQs reports on the number and percentage of online adults who regularly perform a set of productivity activities, from work file collaboration to appointment scheduling. These results are further split by mean age and generation and trended by age and device type for Americans from 2020 through 2023. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0126_prod] in TUP Lenses: Activities, Mobile Phones, PCs, User Profile, Devices, Communication
Printer market highlights and trends
The printer market enjoyed an early pandemic bump, but the long-term decline in printer use has returned, following the decline in computer use and the increase in smartphone, cloud, and social network usage. The latest generation – Gen Z – has not embraced printing, and when they do print, it’s often with a borrowed printer or printing service. A focus on certain groups of productivity and classic printing activities may renew attention to printing.
This TUPdate presentation highlights trends in the market demand for printers and printing, drawing on results from TUP in 2010 to the present, which are based on surveys of over 105,000 American online adults. In addition to printer-specific brands and printing activities, it includes the long-term trends affecting printers. These trends include: the growing shift to smartphone use, the declining use of personal computers, and the habits and preferences of later generations (Gen Z) versus those of earlier generations (Boomers and Silent Generation). It provides a review of printers in the market, who’s using them, why they’re using them (or not), and how forces in the economy and long-term trends in technology usage have an impact on the printer market. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0125_prtr] in TUP Lenses: Printers; Activities; User Profile
Half of Americans use a smartphone for work
During the pandemic, the rapid flight to health, safety, and remote work caught many employers’ IT departments unprepared. Many workers did not have employer-provided computers or even home-owned ones, although the majority had smartphones. At the same time, much of the online population was already migrating many of their everyday activities away from computers to smartphones. Consequently, roughly half of online adults in the US and UK, and over 40% of those in Germany and Japan, regularly use their smartphones for work-related activities.
This MetaFAQ reports on the percentage of online adults that use a smartphone for a range of work-related activities, from checking email and participating in online meetings to phone and video calls. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0123_spwt] in TUP Lenses: Mobile Phones; Activities; Communication; Work/Life Balance
Half of Americans use a smartphone for work
Half of Americans use a smartphone for work – Over half of online American adults utilize smartphones for various work tasks, from emails to videoconferencing. One in six American workers relies solely on a smartphone. Another quarter have all three: a smartphone, computer and tablet, and 80% of these rely on smartphones for work activities. Interestingly, half lack employer-provided computers.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults regularly using a smartphone for work-related activities. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1125_spwr] in TUP Lenses: Mobile Phones; Activities; Communication; Work/Life Balance
Growing shift to online collaboration – for some
Collaboration tools are seeing a steady increase in adoption among users. This trend was significantly influenced by the global shift to remote working due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As workers transitioned to home-based environments, there was a pressing need for efficient tools to maintain productivity. This change paved the way for embracing non-conventional methods, prompting many to utilize consumer-focused solutions for professional tasks. Larger organizations’ IT/IS departments often found it challenging to swiftly modify their existing systems. As a result, employees took the initiative, driving the momentum to ensure their effectiveness wasn’t hampered. This has amplified the use of collaborative tools, allowing multiple users to work on files or documents simultaneously. It’s noteworthy that employees in the largest and smallest American corporations have adopted these collaborative practices at a distinct pace compared to their counterparts in medium-sized enterprises. In other countries, employees with the largest employers are leading the way. This information is crucial for technology marketers, researchers, and analysts to understand and strategize accordingly.
Microsoft CoPilot – generative AI as an enterprise Office 365 service for creatives
Microsoft announced an upcoming service for its Microsoft 365 service that integrates the user’s data using generative AI. Called Microsoft CoPilot, the service will first be offered to enterprises. This TUPdate measures the potential market of those most likely to adopt and benefit from the service.
Work follows employees home, although less so than last year
Home computers – those acquired with personal funds – are used by most employees for work-related activities. Americans and employees in Germany, the UK, Japan, and China peaked in 2021 and subsided in 2022. This MetaFAQs reports on employees using a home computer for work-related activities. It details the work activities with home computers, from communication to collaboration and productivity. As a historical contrast, it includes comparable results from the 1987 TUP/Technology User Profile wave.
Smartphones achieve usage primacy
Smartphone primacy over personal computers has been reached, as activities from entertainment to productivity are more widely used. Productivity and collaboration activities were the most recent to reach the broadest usage. This MetaFAQs reports on the trend in the primacy of smartphones as compared to computers across eight classes of activities: entertainment, communication, social networking, graphics, entertainment, productivity, information, and cloud. It reports on the primary device type for each class of activity for 2019 through 2022 among adult users in the US and globally: the US, Germany, the UK, Japan, and China.
American women 40+ and their technology
As the average age of the tech-savvy increases, the face of the average technology user is shifting. A major player in the arena of tech is the American woman aged 40+. This TUPdate reports on the unique attitudes and tech habits of American women at or over 40—a group of 69.3 million Americans. This analysis splits American women aged 40 and older into four segments based on their attitudes, values, and profiles of their use of technology. Report [TUP_doc_2022_0714_fema] in TUP Lenses: User Profile, PCs, Mobile Phones, Households, Activities, Consumer Electronics.
American retirees and their technology
The number of America’s online retirees has been on a steady incline–increasing by 5% each year since 2018—and retirees’ enthusiasm for tech has steadily increased, too. But just how active are American retirees, and how do their attitudes and values impact usage? This TUPdate reports on the unique attitudes and tech habits of American retirees, a group which is made up of 48.8 million Americans. This analysis splits American retirees into 6 segments based on their attitudes and values. Report [TUP_doc_2022_0630_reti] in TUP Lenses: User Profile, PCs, Mobile Phones, Households, Activities.