Many Say They Have Become Much More Accepting of New Technology.

A new survey by Harris Interactive® shows that 14 percent of U.S. adults say their attitude toward new technology can best be described with the sentiment, “I believe new technology is usually better. I’m interested already.” Perhaps more interesting to the technology industry is that, overall, many adults say they have become much more accepting of new technology over the past year. The survey also highlights the home and mobile technology products consumers say they are likely to purchase within the next six months and explores the impact of certain factors on purchase consideration.

These are some of the results from The 2005 Telecommunications Report: Hot Issues Facing the Industry, a study conducted quarterly by Harris Interactive. The most recent study was conducted online in September 2005 among 1,174 U.S. adults.

Acceptance of new technology

Acceptance of new technology appears to have risen for many consumers in the past year. While approximately two-thirds (68%) of adults say their attitude toward technology has not changed over the past year, more than one-quarter (28%) says they have become much more accepting of new technology. Fewer (4%) adults say they are more skeptical of new technology now compared to a year ago.

“These results may suggest that the number of early technology adopters is on the rise,” says Joe Porus, chief architect of the Technology Research Practice at Harris Interactive. “Today, the entire industry is delivering high quality products which are allowing consumers to have more confidence and be more accepting of products earlier on in their life cycle. If consumers begin to look at all technology products this way, they may look beyond the product features and go right to the price, creating an even more price sensitive market.”

Likely purchases within the next six months

Approximately two in five adults say they are likely to purchase technology products within the next six months for their home (39%) and/or for when they are on the go (44%). The top five technology items for the home likely to be purchased within the next six months include:

Home computer (13%)
Home printer (13%)
TV/home theatre (11%)
TV content provider (9%)
Home gaming console (8%)

The top five mobile technology items likely to be purchased with the next six months include:

Cell phone (17%)
Camera (14%)
Laptop (10%)
Personal music device (8%)
Video camera (7%)
Factors considered when making new technology purchases

The survey also asked consumers about the factors that impact their purchase decisions when considering a new piece of electronic equipment.

Majorities of consumers say ease of use (61%), customer service (58%), no hassle installation (57%), and getting a thorough understanding on how it works (53%) have a great deal of impact on their purchase considerations.

Half of adults see the warranty (50%), ease of switching back if they don’t like the new product/service (50%) and contract length or other commitment (50%) as factors that have a great deal of impact on their purchase considerations.
Fewer adults say that comparisons to what they have now (29%) and the brand of the company offering the product (23%) have a great impact on their purchase considerations.

Porus concludes, “All of this is good news for technology retailers. Wallets should open widely this holiday season and beyond for high-tech gadgets. On the flip side, as consumers more readily accept all technology products, companies will be challenged to deliver a distinctive value proposition in an effort to set themselves apart from their competitors.”

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For more information at http://www.harrisinteractive.com