This morning, Microsoft UK published a teaser video under the #OfficeLove hashtag. There was a lot of speculation about what the announcement would be, with even some users focusing on the iPhone in the video. As it turns out, Microsoft was getting ready to tout new survey results in regards to using a Lumia for work and for pleasure.
Kindle Research on behalf of Microsoft UK throughout September 2014 conducted the independent survey. The participants were '45 decision makers' who had been using a Lumia Windows Phone for work and they were asked about how the felt about using their phone for personal usage.
One of the questions asked (of three) was quite direct:
"Since receiving your Lumia for business, have you ever used it for personal reasons, such as web browsing, messaging or entertainment?"
According to Microsoft, 77 percent of respondents replied 'Yes', and they confirmed that they had "a choice of using a personal device when they made the decision". The latter part is the most interesting. Many people with a work phone also maintain their own personal phone. This was more common in the days of mandated BlackBerry usage, but it still happens for those who want the latest phone on the market.
Another 78 percent of respondents said that they were 'Very likely' or 'Quite likely' to recommend the Lumia to a friend or colleague for personal use.
Finally, questions about how they used their Lumias for was asked of the 45 participants. Ninety-three percent used their Lumias for maps and directions while only 51 percent used the Lumias for music (insert Xbox Music joke here). Other usages included viewing or editing documents, news and sports, social networking, and apps specific to their job.
Microsoft seems quite proud of the high satisfaction rate and have even made an accompanying video. Indeed, the numbers back up a common user experience: when people try Windows Phone, they generally come away very pleased with the hardware and operating system. However, without knowing how other phones like the iPhone or a Galaxy S5 would perform in the same survey, it is hard to put into an overall context.
Source: Microsoft UK, Survey Results PDF
