Households Becoming Message Centers For Workers

Messaging technology enables people to work anytime, anywhere -- and thus is changing the way they see work communications vs personal communications -- says a recent study commissioned by Pitney Bowes Inc. The study found a significant category of U.S. households called "high volume" households, which send and receive more than double the amount of messages per week (240) as the average household (115). These use nearly twice the communications tools (six) as the average household, and their e-mail usage is about four times higher. The "high volume" households are twice as likely to have knowledge workers (with professional, managerial, or executive positions), and are much more likely to include at least one adult who works at home -- either after-hours, or as a telecommuter or home-business owner. They also have at least double than average amount of communications with work contacts or associates. And they spend about three times as many hours online.