Intel and Harris Interactive have released the results of a recent survey they conducted entitled “Internet Reliance in Today’s Economy.” The survey polled 2,119 American adults.
The first “key” finding of the survey was that 46 percent of women and 30 percent of men said they would give up sex for two weeks rather than give up Internet access for the same two week period.
The Internet ranked highest among discretionary spending items, higher than cable television, dining out, and shopping for clothing.
61 percent of women surveyed said they would rather lose TV for two weeks, then have their Internet access taken for one.
“The survey revealed that 65 percent of adults feel they cannot live without Internet access, and even more — 71 percent — responded that it is important or very important to have Internet-enabled devices, such as laptops, netbooks and mobile Internet devices that can provide them with real-time updates on important issues including the state of the economy,” noted Intel.
Result for: internet access
After a multi-billion dollar failed experiment, Time Warner has made moves to rid itself of the still profitable, but quickly dying AOL dial-up internet division.
The company plans to keep AOL’s Web-portal and advertising sectors and only sell its dial up internet access division which has been losing subscribers at an exponential rate. Time Warner’s new CEO Jeff Bewkes had this to say at a recent conference call. “This should significantly increase AOL’s strategic options,” he said. It is notable to mention that at its peak in 2002 AOL had 30 million paying subscribers. It now has 10 million.
AOL has now been ramping up its advertising business but it still lagging behind the industry. For the Q4 2007, ad revenue for the company grew 18 percent while the industry averaged propelled ahead by 25 percent.
The separation of AOL from Time Warner’s growing content business should allow the company to focus on stronger, more profitable businesses. A rival executive noted that Time Warner has wasted billions of dollars trying to find the Right business model for AOL. “Follow the money. Platforms, not content businesses, are where the money has been made on the internet,” he added.
I’m sure Time Warner share holders can vouch for that last statement.
Result for: internet access
A report by the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper has said that Japanese companies are planning to block Internet access to anyone who downloads unauthorized files via P2P or other methods.
The newspaper said that Japan’s ISPs have been faced “with mounting complaints from the music, movie and video-game industries” and have agreed to take the drastic action. The ISPs will send e-mails to users who repeatedly download illegally and will then terminate their Internet connections if they do not cease and desist.
The ISPs will hold a panel next month with copyright holders to draft a set of guidelines. If this goes through, the actions will be the strictest measures ever taken to fight online piracy. The newspaper estimated that 1.75 million people in Japan use file-sharing software, mainly for unauthorized downloads.
A similar measure brought forth by a Japanese ISP two years ago was shot down when the government said it might violate the right to privacy.
We will keep you updated on any developments.
