Axway Global Study Reveals Gap Between Impact of Technology on Personal and Professional Lives

To examine the impact of technology on our lives, Axway (Paris:AXW) (Euronext: AXW.PA), a catalyst for digital transformation, today published the results of a global survey which found that 91 percent of people believe that technology advancements have made their lives easier. The survey of more than 2,600 people across the Australia, France, Germany, United States, and the United Kingdom identified a huge gap between the impact of technology on our personal and professional lives and also examined the concerns people have around the changing relationship between man and machine.

Organizations Need to Keep Up with Technology Used in Consumer’s Personal Lives

Despite huge investments from organizations across almost every industry in technologies that transform business processes and enable new models for working, the survey found that technology is having a much larger impact on our personal lives.

• 70 percent of consumers stated that technology has had a greater impact on their personal lives than their professional lives.
• This trend was particularly evident with millennials, with 75 percent of millennials versus older generations (66 percent) stating that their personal lives have been impacted more by technology.

Technology Improves Our Lives, But Impacts Interpersonal Skills

Despite the vast majority of people (91 percent) agreeing that technology has had a positive impact on our lives, whether in the personal or professional realm, the survey identified key concerns around its impact on our interpersonal skills. The top concerns were:

• 53 percent said that today’s level of interaction with technology is killing the art of good conversation, with women (56 percent) more likely than men (49 percent).
• 40 percent said technology is making people more impatient.
• 39 percent said that technology is reducing attention spans.

Blurring Line Between Man and Machine is Creating Concerns

As organizations continue to invest in new technologies and look to accelerate the impact of technology in the professional world, they need to carefully consider how new technologies can replicate human behavior such as artificial intelligence. These new technologies present a concern for 85 percent of consumers, with top concerns being:

• 34 percent worry about machines invading their privacy.
• 29 percent are concerned about machines taking over jobs.
• 21 percent, or one in five consumers, are concerned about machines taking over the world.

Further, with the rise of crypto currencies such as Bitcoin, technology will play an increasingly larger role in the future of payments made by humans.

• One in four consumers (23 percent) believe digital currency will most likely replace cash within the next 10-15 years.

Personalization vs. Privacy: Concerns Vary Across the World

New technologies capture huge volumes of personal data that organizations use to develop, market and sell their products and services. The vast majority of respondents (83 percent) are concerned about how organizations use their personal data.

• 53 percent do not like the idea of organizations having their personal information. Consumers in Australia (59 percent) and the U.S. (55 percent) are most concerned, while respondents in France (44 percent) are the least concerned.
• Only 27 percent like it when organizations use data to personalize products and services. Opinions on personalization varied significant across countries, with respondents France (38 percent) valuing it more than any other country and respondents in Australia (20 percent) seeing the least value.

“In 2017, we saw technology continue to evolve at a rapid pace as innovations such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, block chain and augmented reality started to reach the mainstream,” said Vince Padua, Chief Innovation and Technology Officer at Axway. “These technologies are quickly transforming the relationship between man and machine and are ultimately making our lives easier. However, this study reveals that the competitive pressure and digital disruption are increasing, and using the right technology is necessary to gain the upper hand. Looking ahead to 2018, results from this survey will help inform how organizations can leverage technology to provide faster innovation, expand their digital business ecosystems and obtain higher levels of customer experience.”

About the Survey
Conducted by international research firm Research+Data Insights (RDI), the survey was fielded online and included participation from 2,653 adults in the US, France, UK, Australia and Germany. Respondents were a mix of male and female, ranging in age from 18 to 60 years old.

About Axway
Axway (Euronext: AXW.PA) is a catalyst for transformation. With Axway AMPLIFY™, our cloud-enabled data integration and engagement platform, digital leaders anticipate, adapt and scale to meet rising customer expectations. Our unified, API-first approach connects data from anywhere, expands collaboration, fuels millions of apps and delivers real-time analytics to build customer experience networks. To learn more, visit www.axway.com.

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