Sage SMB Survey on Mobile Devices Finds Canadian Businesses Using Mobile Technology to Positively Affect Their Business

RICHMOND, BC--(Marketwire - Mar 18, 2013) - Sage North America announced today the results of its mobile survey, which recently polled 476 small and midsized businesses in Canada. The Sage SMB Survey on Mobile Devices showed that Canadian business owners find the use of mobile technology to have a positive effect on their company's productivity. Eighty-three per cent of respondents said that mobile technology has had a positive effect on their businesses, while just one per cent found mobile technology has negatively impacted their business. Moreover, 78 per cent of respondents are using devices to access work-related information.

Of those businesses using devices while out of the office, more than 55 per cent have one to two employees using laptops, about 40 per cent have one to two employees using desktops and about 40 per cent have one to two employees using tablets or smartphones. Business leaders report that the use of devices for remote access have increased over the past year with laptops increasing by 48 per cent, tablets by 64 per cent and smartphones by 78 per cent.

When asked about having a "bring your own device" policy (BYOD), 45 per cent responded that they already have this policy in place, while 35 per cent have not considered this option. Another nine per cent have considered, but decided against a BYOD strategy for their businesses.

Business decision makers may be better off establishing a BYOD policy in order to protect their company's proprietary data. By doing so, decision makers can capitalize on the growing trend of employees conducting work activities on mobile devices with the peace of mind that their company data is still secure. The Sage mobile survey found that smartphones are used for work more than 59 per cent of the time.

"Mobile devices have become so pervasive that many of us feel like these devices are an extension of ourselves, so it makes sense that the majority of business owners Sage surveyed in Canada are incorporating mobile devices to increase productivity," said Nancy Harris, senior vice president and general manager of Sage 50 Accounting- Canadian Edition. "For many businesses, mobile devices are an extension of the office. The collaboration and seamless integration between back office and the sales force in the field provide a means that can potentially alleviate bottlenecks between departments."

"Businesses should continue to take advantage of mobile devices," continued Harris. "By capitalizing on the growing trend of work being conducted on smartphones and tablets, businesses can not only increase productivity, but also give their employees the flexibility of being able to conduct work whenever and wherever they are. This ability to work remotely not only helps add to the bottom line, but may also be seen as a benefit to prospective employees."

The Sage North America mobile survey was conducted amongst 476 Canadian respondents and has an error rate of +/- 4.5 per cent with a 95 per cent confidence level.

Complete findings from the study are available at: http://bit.ly/YeFjjx.

About Sage
Sage is a leading global supplier of business management software and services for small and midsized businesses. The Sage Group plc, formed in 1981, was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and now employs more than 13,500 people and supports more than 6 million customers worldwide. For more information about Sage in North America, please visit the company website at NA.Sage.com. Follow Sage North America on Facebook, Facebook.com/SageNorthAmerica, and Twitter, Twitter.com/SageNAmerica.

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