MUMBAI: A research conducted by Swedish telecom gear maker Ericsson Consumer Lab named ‘A Networked Life’ stated that consumers expect more devices to be connected as there are endless options for connectivity. It also predicts that more connected devices will ultimately lead to redefined networked lifestyle needs.
Consumers have only now begun to enter the era of networked lifestyles, and they expect greater mobility and an increasing number of devices to become connected.
The report states that consumers recognize the benefits of various devices in their life becoming connected; the analysis has been broadly classified in three categories viz. overall, un-recognised and netizens.
Data for the report has been gathered through 45,290 face-to-face and online interviews with people form the age group of 15-69 years old, representing about 1.2 billion people across 24 countries including Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden, the UK and the US.
Chile with 32 per cent, South Korea with 29 per cent and Brazil with 28 percent have the highest penetration of internet users.
The forerunners of the networked lifestyle are the netizens who spend more time online on a wider range of services than others. They comprise 17 per cent globally.
The report says that 65 per cent of netizens participate in a sharing economy, compared to 9 per cent of un-networked. They spend the most amount of time on the internet.
Also that 98 per cent of netizens own more than one device (smartphone and other devices like a laptop or tablet).
For instance, research and analysis showed 52 per cent surveyed internet users want their TVs to be connected to the internet. Whereas 24 per cent of consumers also state that they are using services that allow them to use a movie, TV show or video on one device and then resume playing from another device.
Based on research in 12 countries, it was found that the average number of devices connected to the internet has increased to 4.1 devices in 2015 as compared to 3.1 devices per household in 2014. Because of this, consumers are spending more time online incorporating digital services and devices with everyday activities.
The report says that video streaming apps have the potential to become main stream on a global scale in the near future; which could potentially have large ripple effects on the entertainment industry.
In terms of India the report states that the percentage of Netizens in India stood at 48 per cent. And it has one of the highest levels of peer-to-peer sharing at 79 per cent among the local netizen community. A sizeable 56 per cent of people in India feel it is easier to find products and services on the internet than through friends and family.
Ericsson Consumer Lab Director Vishnu Singh said, “The reason for people’s increasing use of the internet is that their perceived value of it is growing along with the rise in usage. The networked lifestyle is all-inclusive because the benefit for each individual user increases as more people participate in the internet.”
The report states that Brazil, China and Colombia are the countries to have high numbers of netizens who use the internet less than once a week or not at all.
Whereas countries like Germany and US with lower proportions of netizens in highly industrialized countries are balanced by a larger distribution of those who use the internet with some regularity.
