Workers boast BYOD boosts productivity

Nearly 60 percent of consumers feel that videoconferencing and using social collaboration tools on their personal devices increases their productivity, according to a new survey by management consulting firm Accenture.

Growth of personal devices in the workplace has brought increased demand for products such as smartphones and tablets. The rise of multifunction technology has also slowed consumer demand for single usage devices.

"The consumer electronics market is now predominantly a four-horse race among multifunction devices: PCs, smartphones, tablets and HD TVs. This development amounts to a call to action for electronics manufacturers," said Mattias Lewren, managing director for Accenture's Electronics and High Tech industry group.

"They need to focus squarely on innovative devices with multiple applications, from browsing to media consumption to communications in various settings. Consumers want ‘do-it-all' capabilities in various sizes and user experiences that fit their different lifestyle needs."

About 41 percent of those surveyed by Accenture reported that they planned to buy a smartphone within the year. Another 36 percent of those surveyed reported they planned to buy a PC in 2013.

Meanwhile, only 10 percent reported they would buy a Blu-ray player within the year. Another nine percent of survey participants said they would buy an e-Book reader in 2013.

Accenture also found that many consumers use multifunction devices for work purposes. According to the study, 82 percent of surveyed consumers send work related text messages on their smartphone.

About 66 percent of those surveyed also reported that they send work related emails on their smartphone.

Tablets are also frequently used for work purposes. Of those surveyed, 39 pe cent said they go on work-based social networks using their tablet. Another 25 percent of those surveyed said they conduct work-related video conferences on their tablet.

The surveys findings go in line with the rise of the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend. According to a recent Intel study, BYOD plans can increase employee productivity and decrease company overhead.

Accenture's study surveyed 11,000 consumers in 11 countries to uncover its results. Surveys were fielded between September and October of 2012.