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INDUSTRY NEWS


1 May 2008

Consumers predominantly email and search on internet


Although consumers are becoming increasingly interested in internet video and web 2.0 technologies such as blogs and social networks, most predominantly use the internet to email and collect information.

That is according to a new global study of 4,770 consumers by Gartner, which revealed that the third highest internet worldwide is online banking, followed by the sharing of photos, videos and other media files.

The survey also found that geographic navigation services, such as Google Earth, were the fifth most popular internet activity, while shopping online cam in at number six.

"The Internet has become a utility for most consumers, who use it for communicating, gathering information and performing financial transactions, said Elroy Jopling, research director at Gartner.

"However, a new 'trickle down' phenomenon, where teenagers lead the evolution of consumer internet applications, heralds a new era where internet applications will mimic life - communicating, entertaining, socialising (and) informing," he added.

Although many enterprises are beginning to come around to the idea of providing their employees with access to some forms of social networking, a recent poll by research company Ciao indicated that two thirds of British employees think social networking should be banned at work.

© 2006 Adfero Ltd.

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