Senior executives rapidly overcoming technophobia

The belief that IT is part of someone else's job seems to be fading away at top business levels.

In a survey of senior executives for BT Cellnet, the great majority of those questioned have clearly embraced technology for their companies and for themselves.

Virtually all use e-mail at work, and three-quarters continue to use it at home. 80% have internet access in the office, and again, three-quarters also have it at home.

There is a hint that IT is creeping into the workplace, however, without sufficient strategy to fully capitalise on the opportunities it brings. Only 20% of the total reported that their companies had discussed mobile working in the boardroom. Bigger companies and those in the financial services sector have given more senior level consideration to this than have others.

But at least it is not going unconsidered elsewhere. Another 30% said they were handling mobile working at levels below the board.

And more evidence for the notion that the PC is simply a passing fad: Cellnet's William Ostrom expects that "more people will be accessing the internet from their mobile, or other handheld device, than their PC by 2003."

Elliott Chase