New research by Samsung looks at the benefits of rugged technology in businesses, revealing that nine out of ten employees would like their company to invest in more devices in the future

Samsung Electronics UK Ltd. has today revealed the results of a multi-industry research study into the use of rugged technology, looking at key benefits such as productivity and cost saving, resulting in nine out of ten who have experienced these first-hand, keen to invest in more.

The results showcased that rugged tech will form a pivotal role in the future of business, with 81% of users believing that tougher devices will be essential in their workplace over the next two years. Feedback from those currently using rugged tech was resoundingly positive, with over four in five (86%) claiming that the devices are beneficial to their job.

The research^[1] looked at employees and decision-makers across Construction, Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics, Health, Retail, Emergency Services, Utilities, and Automotive sectors to reveal current attitudes towards rugged technology. Rugged refers to hardware – including smartphones, tablets, laptops and wearables – designed to operate in extremely harsh environments and conditions, such as the award-winning Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro and the Galaxy Tab Active Pro.

Within the industries highlighted, Samsung uncovered an array of key insights into the benefits and attitudes towards the wider adoption of rugged tech, with those already using or deploying it in their workplace saying the following:

• Financial efficiency: More than nine out of ten (91%) have said investing in rugged tech has reduced their long-term company costs, with half claiming the reduced need for repairs and replacements is the major economic benefit.
• Lower the risk: Over 40% workers currently use their personal device for work, raising serious concerns around data security and associated business risks. By equipping employees with rugged devices, a third of users claimed that the standard of security improved.
• Productivity boost: Nearly half (45%) said that the improved level of productivity experienced when using the devices was a key benefit. With UK productivity currently 30% lower than the US, according to PwC, results suggest rugged tech could be a valuable tool to give businesses a boost.
• Tough tech: Over half (58%) said that its durability was the primary benefit, with 84% stating that their performance improved when not having to worry about the device breaking.

“At Samsung, we are committed to listening to the opinions and challenges faced by our customers and it is excellent to see that rugged tech is making a difference for its users and their businesses,” says Joe Walsh, Director of B2B at Samsung UK & Ireland.

“These results highlight a clear enthusiasm and demands for the growth of the rugged tech market, and it is encouraging to see how many users want to continue to invest in the future. As more businesses adopt this technology, we only anticipate the appreciation for its financial and performance-based benefits to rise. At Samsung, our unyielding passion for excellence ensures we always enable our customers to thrive with innovative devices that balance their needs by being easy to use and hard to break.”

While over two-thirds (68%) of rugged users claim that they cannot imagine work life without rugged technology, the survey also revealed a strong will from non-users to deploy it in the future.

• Over two-thirds (67%) of those that don’t currently deploy rugged tech would like to incorporate it into their workplace in the future.
• Over half (52%) non-users believe their company would perform better with rugged tech, supported by 81% of current users who say they have already seen an improvement.
• Nearly three-quarters (73%) of businesses not using rugged tech have never considered the financial benefits, but more than nine out of ten current users say that it has already reduced their costs.

Looking forward, the results suggest that rugged tech will form a pivotal part of digital transformation projects across many industries. Almost two-thirds (60%) of respondents believe that rugged tech will become imperative for their industry in the next two years, with 61% users stating that tougher devices will form a vital part of the 5G revolution.