‘Laptop Lag’ Constrains Mobile Professionals

Research shows vast majority would prefer to access Microsoft Office documents from their smartphones for increased productivity

DALLAS, TEXAS – December 4, 2006 – Mobile business professionals who travel with handheld devices are suffering from ‘laptop lag’, impeding their productivity and efficiency, according to recent surveys. ‘Laptop lag’ is defined as the time between when people receive emails with Microsoft Office and other critical documents on their handhelds, such as Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations or Word files, and when they’re able to access a computer to view and make quick but important edits to those documents.

According to a recent survey of 1,200 mobile professionals, conducted by mobile and wireless research consultancy iG R, Inc. and commissioned by Quickoffice, Inc., a leading provider of mobile office software for smartphones, nearly 97 percent need frequent access to email or corporate documents when away from their desk. For this study, mobile professionals are defined as those spending at least 20 percent of their time away from their offices.

With powerful mobile office software, mobile workers would not have to locate or ‘boot up’ a computer for viewing or revising documents, eliminating the need for a laptop to maintain productivity while outside their offices. Seventy percent experience an urgent need to view or edit email attachments while away from the office at least once a week, and nearly 58 percent said the ability to view and edit attachments while away from the office would increase their use of mobile email. In addition, over 63 percent of those surveyed think the ability to view email attachments on their mobile device is important or extremely important.

According to Frost & Sullivan, there are 55 million mobile workers in North America, which translates into approximately 45 percent of the total workforce. In addition, research firm Telephia’s recent mobile device census reports more than 34.6 million US mobile subscribers accessed the Internet via their wireless devices during June 2006. These statistics suggest mobile workers are a growing population, and emerging technologies are playing an increasing role in keeping them connected and productive while on-the-go.

“Many wireless users, both consumer- and business-focused, access their email from their mobile handsets or smartphones,” said Iain Gillott, president and founder of iGR. “But, the true value of wireless email is being able to view and edit email attachments – this capability will differentiate mobile email solutions going forward.”

“Improvements in smartphone functionality such as screen, memory and processing power are revolutionizing business travel, and how smartphone users utilize their devices,” said Barry Cottle, CEO of Quickoffice. “The results of this survey confirm that eliminating ‘laptop lag’ by providing users with software to immediately review and respond to important documents, is a required functionality of smartphones.”

About Quickoffice
Quickoffice is a world leader in providing mobile office document software for smartphones, allowing users to open, view and edit Microsoft Office files with complete document data integrity. The company’s flagship product, Quickoffice Premier, continues to receive awards and recognition from industry analysts, the media and users alike. Quickoffice has been thoroughly tested by the rigorous quality standards of leading mobile phone manufacturers and ships through major carriers such as Vodafone®, Orange®, China Mobile®,Cingular® and many more. Fully localized in up to 42 languages, and shipping worldwide as a built-in solution on a multitude of smartphones, Quickoffice has been a top-selling mobile office application since its market introduction. Privately held, Quickoffice is based in Dallas, Texas.

For more information, please visit www.quickoffice.com.