Research Commissioned by Plastic Logic Shows Clear Need for Robust Electronic Devices

New research commissioned by Plastic Logic has revealed how much money businesses spend on replacing electronic devices that have been damaged by staff members. The poll of 1,000 office workers found that one in four employees (24%) has accidentally damaged an electronic device at work, costing businesses in the UK more than £1billion a year. Worldwide the cost of replacing damaged mobile phones and computers is thought to amount to several billion pounds.

Plastic Logic’s research showed that smartphones are the most likely device to be broken, accounting for 63% of damaged devices. Whereas, tablet PCs fare slightly better in the workplace, making up just a tenth (10%) of accidental damage.

Most damage to devices is caused by workers accidentally dropping them, with a quarter (26%) of electronic devices broken in this way. In addition, some 14 % of devices are left in pieces by workers sitting on them by mistake. Even the humble cup of coffee can prove deadly with one in ten devices (11%) ceasing to work after having liquid spilt on it in the office.

Ironically, it is the IT workers and engineers who cause the most damage to their technology, with more than a quarter (28%) of people working in this sector saying they have accidentally cracked the screen of their smartphone.

Age was also found to have a significant impact on how accident prone workers are. More than half (53%) of workers aged 16-24 have damaged a device at work. Surprisingly, the research shows that young workers are twice as likely to break devices as those aged 35-44, and three times more likely than those who are 45 or older.

“It really is surprising how accident prone people can be with their work equipment. In today’s economic times, businesses simply cannot afford repeated breakages of expensive electronic devices and the subsequent impact on employee productivity,” said Indro Mukerjee, CEO of Plastic Logic.

“This research shows a clear need for work devices to become more robust and better able to survive the clumsy actions of their owners,” Mukerjee added. “At Plastic Logic, we’ve developed ultra-thin, ultra-lightweight, rugged displays that can be bent, dropped, trodden on, or even cut in half and still work. Our technology is ideal for replacing glass-based displays of all sizes in these apparently fragile devices. As a result, we believe that businesses would dramatically cut the cost of clumsiness and improve business performance and productivity.”