Tablet owners remain connected longer than average consumer

A new report from market researcher Knowledge Networks has demonstrated that mobile users are increasingly relying on their tablets to remain connected longer each day.

Since Apple created the new era of the tablet market last year, the devices have taken off in popularity at a pace never before seen within the technology industry. Consumers and enterprise users alike have flocked to tablets for quick and easy access to mobile applications and enterprise networks, among other things.

It now appears, according to Knowledge Networks research, that tablet owners are keeping far more connected than the average consumer. The firm analyzed consumers between the ages of 18 and 64 and found that, on average, people are connected to the internet for 2 hours and 55 minutes each day.

However, that's nothing for tablet-owning consumers. These individuals, the report found, surf the mobile web for an average of 4:19 every day, or a difference of 48 percent more.

For companies, this research may highlight a need for robust mobile device management solutions. While they can certainly benefit from employees remaining connected for more hours each day, mobility managers and IT administrators must be sure that the time spent online is used properly.

Furthermore, with unlimited data plans now a rarity, companies will also have to keep an eye on wireless expense management for tablet-owning employees. The longer they are online, the more data such mobile users are likely to consume. Leveraging a management solution to gain a full view of a mobility deployment will allow the company to see whether or not wireless contracts are satisfying data-hungry employees.

In addition to mobile web statistics, Knowledge Networks' research also revealed much about the tablet owners themselves. According to the company, consumers who own a tablet are more likely to be technologically savvy. In fact, 92 percent of tablet owners analyzed by the report also had a smartphone, and 40 percent were more likely to utilize digital video capabilities for viewing television programs.

It's becoming increasingly evident that mobile devices are having a dramatic impact on how professionals conduct their daily tasks. In July, the Business Journals released a report that found 64 percent of small- and medium-sized business owners who are considered mobile professionals spend more than eight hours each day connected to their business through a device. Thirty-eight percent are connected for 11 or more hours.