In less than 12 months the use of handheld mobile devices to access work email has tripled from 3 to 9 per cent, according to an Optus Business survey. Over the same period wireless access to email on a laptop with WiFi at hotspots and on a laptop with mobile connectivity has more than doubled.

The Optus survey found 15 per cent currently use WiFi hotspots to access work email and 13 per cent use a laptop with a mobile connectivity. These figures compare to 6 per cent in 2005.

Almost three quarters (72 per cent) of working Australians in full time employment, in the Optus survey, now use email as part of their job. While women are more likely to use email for work, men are twice as likely to have wireless or mobile email access. Males make up 71 per cent of users that access email at WiFi hotspots, 67 per cent that use mobile data cards and 77 per cent that use handheld mobile devices such as BlackBerry.

"We're seeing acceleration in the take up of mobile email services," Paul Kitchin, Marketing Director Optus Business said. "Last year mobile email was just scratching the surface, now we're seeing real traction in the market.

"Email is intrinsic to the way we work. While this has traditionally meant being tied to a desk, network improvements and wider range of services mean mobile email is now more attractive to employers and employees.

"For example, with Optus Wireless Connect we're enabling users to connect to via 3G, GPRS or WiFi all with the one data card. Also by offering Microsoft Direct Push Email and BlackBerry, we're giving businesses choice in terms of device and supported technology platforms when considering a push email solution," Mr Kitchin said.

The Optus survey also showed that users see mobile email as a valuable business tool. Almost half (47 per cent) of people who access work email via a handheld device describe it as extremely useful or essential to their work, 61 per cent described email access via a laptop with mobile connectivity as extremely useful or essential and 55 per cent describe access using a laptop with WiFi at hotspots as extremely useful or essential.

The Optus survey was carried out by Woolcott Research in April 2006. A nationally representative sample of 783 people was interviewed by telephone for the survey. All respondents were adults aged 16 + and currently in full time employment.

Media contact:
Cindy Beukes
Optus Corporate Affairs
Phone: +61 2 9342 8138