Survey: Users want more control over tech

UTICA, N.Y., March 17 (UPI) -- Consumers around the world say there is a gap between their computers and mobile technologies, a U.S. survey found.

The Zogby International survey of consumers in the United States, Japan, Spain and Britain found that consumers say they want more control over their applications and they are willing to pay for the added freedom.

The survey found that most mobile users do not download applications to mobile devices.

Sixty-two percent of respondents said they do not yet view their mobile device as an extension of their computer, while just 23 percent said they feel that they have more or the same level of control over their mobile device as they have over their computer.

Sixty-seven percent of respondents said they want to be able to choose their mobile applications for themselves, rather than have mobile carriers choose for them.

"These results show that work could be done to continue to blur the line between the computer and the mobile device, and that advances in new Internet-based services and mobile devices will help drive innovation," said Zogby Vice President of Marketing and E-Commerce Chad Bohnert.

"Overall, people want the ability to have control over which applications they download and this is consistent with trends in other industries," he said.

The survey of approximately 3,000 mobile users was conducted between December 2008 and February 2009.