TECH SAVVY BUSINESS LEADERS STILL PREFER PRINTED NEWS ON THE MOVE

Almost three quarters (74 per cent) of the UK's business leaders are sticking to old habits when it comes to receiving news on the move despite embracing a wide range of technologies in the office. That's one of the findings from a survey by the online private jet booking platform, PrivateFly.com.

CEOs, MDs and chairmen from some of the UK's top companies were invited to participate in the business travel study which was undertaken by Clarity, an independent online research group.

When asked about their use of technology to conduct business, nearly two thirds (63 per cent) said they use webcams and video calls, with over half (56 per cent) adopting internet telephony such as Skype. Instant messaging is used by 36 per cent of business leaders, while 17 per cent said they used social media such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Plaxo to conduct meetings. Unsurprisingly the majority also embrace more established business technologies such as email (98 per cent) and conference calls (86 per cent).

However the findings made clear that traditional methods still hold firm for top executives in some business situations. The overwhelming majority said that technology cannot replace business travel entirely, with 95 per cent stating it was still important or very important to meet face-to-face. Furthermore, when they are actually on the move, just 26 per cent catch up on news using a digital device such as an iPad, iPhone or laptop. The majority (74 per cent) express a clear preference for paper-based news and information when travelling.

Commenting on the findings, Adam Twidell, CEO of PrivateFly.com, said: "Enhancing business travel efficiency is a key priority for today's busy executive, whether in choosing time-saving transport or using technology to reduce diary overload. However it's clear that business leaders like to mix the old with the new: There are times when only a handshake and eye-to-eye contact will do - and for news on the move, the traditional newspaper is evidently still king."

The full results of the study are available in a white paper written by business journalist, Jeremy Skidmore.

Summary of key findings:

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Notes to editors:

1 The UK Business Leaders 2011 Travel Survey was conducted in March 2011 by Clarity UK (www.clarityuk.net), and commissioned by PrivateFly.com. 105 responses were generated from e-mail target data of UK CEOs, MDs and Chairmen of companies with £100M+ turnover and targeted social media invitations.