SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 15, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apigee® (NASDAQ: APIC), developer of an intelligent API platform for digital business, today announced the results of the Apigee Institute’s 2015 Digital Impact Survey, which identifies health and wellness management as an industry in which smartphones and apps are changing behavior among a majority of connected consumers. According to the survey, 60 percent of adult smartphone owners in the U.S. - and nearly three quarters of millennials (71%) - say smartphones and apps have changed the way they manage their health and wellness. Additional findings show that almost half (49%) now want their doctors to use data from their fitness tracker and/or from health apps as part of their care.
The survey’s findings also reveal continued gains in the impact that smartphones and apps are having in banking and shopping, where these digital technologies have changed the consumer experience for 126 and 139 million U.S. smartphone owners, respectively. The report indicates that within the next 24 months, smartphones and apps may impact health and wellness management as much as they have impacted the more “digitally mature” banking and retail industries.
“Mobile devices and apps are creating demand for connected digital experiences in many, many industries; our annual Digital Impact Survey is designed to help business leaders keep their finger on the pulse of rapidly evolving behavior and expectations in key markets,” said Chet Kapoor, Apigee CEO. “This year’s survey suggests that smartphones and apps are beginning to dramatically impact the way we manage our health – from wearables that measure fitness to health apps from our doctors. By tracking and exploring how digital technologies are affecting key industries, we aim to help decision makers better capitalize on these trends.”
Digital is More than Mainstream
Driven by continued adoption of smartphones and apps, U.S. smartphone owners report an increased impact of digital technologies on everyday life in 2015. Among these 171 million consumers, changed behavior and excitement about “what’s next” appears to have broken through to the “late majority1”—the roughly 34 percent of a given population who approach new innovation with caution and adopt it only after the majority of the population has done so. According to the survey:
- Smart, connected devices won more than 24 million additional enthusiasts in 2015 over 2014. A majority of smartphone owners (54%) feel “very favorable” toward the Internet of Things and nearly two-thirds (63%) are excited about smart connected devices for the home.
- Nearly two-thirds (64%) feel smartphones and apps give them more control over their lives, and more than eight in 10 (83%) believe their electronic devices make them more productive.
- Three quarters (76%) are more excited about predictive apps that learn from their use than standard apps; this rises to 85 percent amongst millennials (adults between ages 18 and 34) and 90 percent among those ages 18-24.
Digital’s Promise and Momentum in Health and Wellness
Since Apigee’s first Digital Impact Survey in 2013, more than 42 million additional Americans now report that smartphones and apps have changed the way they manage their health and wellness, representing a 70 percent increase in adoption.
By 2017, digital’s impact on health and wellness may reach late majority adoption, suggesting that this industry may be the next “digital frontier.” The survey found that:
- More than 62 million Americans—37 percent of adult smartphone owners—report that they are healthier thanks to their smartphone and apps.
- This perception of improved health rises to 66 percent for those using either fitness devices or fitness and health apps to track health and fitness, and 78 percent among those using both a fitness device as well as apps via their smartphone to manage their health and wellness.
- Among those using both a fitness device and apps to manage their health and wellness, nearly nine in 10 (86%) feel their devices give them more control over their lives.
- Half of all smartphone owners (49%) say they want their doctor to use their data from a fitness tracker and/or health apps, and 80% of respondents expect doctors to offer key functionality via apps within the next one to two years.
- Millennials are also shifting the way they view healthcare, with nearly one in three already saying they would prefer a doctor who uses app and fitness tracker data as a regular part of their medical practice.
Retail Digital Transformation Momentum Continues in 2015
Digital technologies have continued to change the retail experience for US consumers in 2015. This year’s report suggests that retailers must continue to offer connected digital experiences to remain competitive.
- Eight in 10 (81%) smartphone owners say the shopping experience has been changed by their devices, with nearly one in four (23%) saying it has “changed completely.”
- For millennials, smartphones and apps have changed the shopping experience for 86 percent, with one in three (31%) reporting it has “changed completely”
- More than two in five (44%) respondents expect to spend more online in the coming year, with 33 percent expecting to spend more through in-app purchases.
- When asked about expected purchases at brick-and-mortar stores, 20 percent expect a decrease in spending in the coming year.
- Use of apps for shopping is increasing as well, with 43 percent reporting app downloads from a big retail chain in the past year. Similarly, 25 percent downloaded an app from a consumer products company.
Digital Experiences May Shift the Center of Gravity in Banking
The 2015 Digital Impact Survey findings reveals that smartphones and apps continue to impact the way today’s banking consumers manage their financial lives. In 2015, adoption of digital technologies gained momentum in banking, with nearly three quarters (73%) of smartphone owners reporting a change in the way they bank. This rise in digital experiences and the declining relevance of “brick and mortar” banking facilities may indicate a larger shift in the center of gravity in financial services. The survey findings show that:
- More than half of all of U.S. smartphone users (58%) report that they prefer to bank using their smartphone and apps. Among millennials, nearly three quarters (71%) prefer digital options.
- Approximately one in four respondents report using their smartphone for paying in-store, making or receiving a direct payment via app, or using a non-bank financial management app or website.
- Between 2014 and 2015, banking app daily usage increased from 14 percent to 20 percent, while non-ATM bank branch usage fell four points (to 41 percent). This represents 52 percent growth in daily banking app usage, year over year. Among those ages 18-29 more than one in four (27%) now use a banking app daily.
The Apigee Institute is the research and strategy arm of Apigee, provider of a leading of API management platform. The Apigee Institute is committed to helping businesses succeed in the new digital world, and includes executives in Global 2000 corporations, academic researchers and domain experts who collaboratively shape its research agenda and participate in building a body of empirical data as a shared resource. Its annual Digital Impact Survey is designed to study how smartphones and mobile apps are changing consumer behavior, how these changes are evolving over time, and the impact they have on the world’s leading industries and enterprises.
Available today, the Apigee Institute’s new report, “Digital is Destiny,” provides extensive detail and analysis of its 2015 Digital Impact Survey findings. The full report can be accessed here.
Methodology
The 2015 Digital Impact Survey surveyed 1,000 smartphone owners 18 years of age or older in the United States. Respondent data was modeled on key demographics proportional to known benchmarks for smartphone owners. Respondents were weighted to match the November 2014 omnibus survey by the Pew Research Center, filtered to smartphone owners over 18. Those polled demographically match Pew’s sample in terms of age group distribution, income, education, and regional representation. The Digital Impact Survey is conducted online with respondents sampled from leading industry consumer panels who clear multiple quality checks during the survey process.
About Apigee
Apigee® (NASDAQ:APIC) provides an intelligent API platform for digital business. Many of the world's largest organizations select Apigee to enable their digital business, including more than 25 percent of the Fortune 100, five of the top six Global 2000 retail companies, and five of the top 10 global telecommunications companies. Apigee customers include global enterprises such as Walgreens, Burberry, Morningstar, and First Data. Apigee is headquartered in San Jose, California and has over 400 employees worldwide.
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1 http://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/late-majority.asp