The UK is embracing many aspects of new technology but is still not realising its new potential, according to a new survey from MORI and Egg. The study shows that 14 million people are dependent on their mobile phones; 15 million are online at home; 9 million have digital television; a third of internet users now buy products online and four and a half million people now bank online. Over two thirds of current users feel that mobiles, digital TV and PCs have become part of their everyday lives and by mid-2001 the report indicates that half the UK population will be online.
However, the report also shows a nation not yet realising the full potential of new technologies. Although 18 million people use a PC or laptop for personal use, the majority (61%) use it mainly for traditional word processing. Around 29 million adults still do not use a PC, of whom nine million claim they never will; WAP is used only by 2% of the population and just over half the population (51%) are only interested in applications of new technology if they directly affect their current lifestyle.
The report also reveals a nation on the verge of a fundamental shift. Some 17 million people are expected to access a new technology product for the first time over the next six months and by mid 2001, more than 23 million people in the UK could be online. Over the next four to five years, 10 million people say they will depend on new technology for shopping, 14 million for banking, and six million people say they will make investments online.
