Blackberries – The good and the ugly

High powered employees are seeing real benefits from their Blackberry addictions as they work longer, faster and more often.

New research from the University of NSW Australian School of Business and from the University of Sydney shows that Blackberry use has tangible benefits for fast paced professionals such as lawyers and investment bankers.

One of the researchers Judith MacCormick told The Australian Financial Review that the Blackberry device if used correctly allowed employees to work more efficiently and be more accessible to clients and colleagues.

The AFR reported on market research data from IDC that showed strong though slowing sales growth of Blackberry parent ‘Research in Motion’ for Australia.

The joint research from the Australian universities also showed an uglier side to the Blackberry. Firms found that Blackberries were the most damage-prone piece of work equipment, often requiring replacement. It seems that partners and family frustrated at a lack of face time with Blackberry addicts are lashing out on the device.

“One organization said they go through a lot of handsets, suggesting that they are actually damaged, flushed down the toilet or thrown at the wall more frequently than one would expect,” MacCormick recalled to the AFR.

The Blackberry – Indispensable work device or antisocial tech titillation? Send us your feedback.