Sixteen percent of workers across the world are "hyperconnected" - using a minimum of seven devices for work and personal access plus at least nine applications like IM, text messaging, Web conferencing and social networks, according to a recent study.

The research by IDC, commissioned by Nortel, found that 36% are “increasingly connected” by using a minimum of four devices for work and personal access to six or more applications. These users will soon join the ranks of the “hyperconnected,” however, spurring a 40% growth in that category in five years, according to IDC.

This trend will create challenges for enterprises in managing new tools of connectivity while providing information securely and reliably, and ensuring that this connectivity is productive, IDC states.

The firm’s research queried 2,400 people of various age groups across 17 countries in North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific and Latin America, working across various industries and company sizes. The countries with the highest percentage of hyperconnected respondents in the study were China and the United States.

Survey questions covered topics such as how many devices and applications an individual used, where they use them most frequently and what time of day. The survey also measured respondents' attitudes to current communications technology and assessments of how widely they adopt them for personal and business use.

The study also found that:

• Latin America has the largest percentage of hyper/increasingly connected at 64%. This compares to 59% in Asia Pacific, 50% in Europe, and 44% in North America.

• Europe and the Middle East rely heavily on instant and text messaging in business. Over 50 % of EMEA respondents – more than twice the number of North American respondents – said they use instant and text messaging for business.

• Phones more important than wallets and keys. When asked which item people would take if they had to leave the house for 24 hours, more than 38% of global respondents chose their mobile phone over their wallet, keys, laptop and MP3 player. Less than 30% chose their wallet first. The hyperconnecteds preferred their laptops.

• Social network adoption growing in the enterprise. More than one in three people use social networks and online communities such as blogs, wikis, and online forums for business communication – with Central America/Latin America workers leading the world.

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