We've known for some time now that business professionals love their smartphones--whether or not their IT departments love them. Now we have a better idea of just how much they love the devices: A survey of 400 small- to mid-sized businesses in the United States found that smartphones rank equally with intimate relationships as the first thing the respondents could not live without.

The survey was conducted by RingCentral, which provides Internet-based phone systems targeting mobile and distributed workers, so it's a good thing it revealed an on-going love affair with the smartphone. Still, it is remarkable just how much the the respondents--RingCentral customers--depend on their handheld devices. Eighty-three percent said they would give up their cup of coffee in the morning before giving up their smartphone.

"The passion business professionals have for these devices reflects a major shift in the way we work, and the new reality is that businesses do not have to choose between mobility and professionalism," said Vlad Shmunis, CEO of RingCentral.

According to RingCentral's research, smartphones are substituting not only for office phones, but, to a lesser degree, laptop computers. Seventy-nine percent of the respondents said they use a smartphone more often than an office phone to conduct business. Thirty-four percent said they use their smartphone for business more than they use a laptop computer.

For more, see:
- RingCentral's press release

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