Information Technology in Michigan Survey:
Finding from cyber-state.org 2004 Surveys

CONTACT:
Jeffrey Moore, Interim President
Cyberstate.org
703/575-1685

Jeff Williams, Vice President & Senior Consultant for Technology and Public Policy
Public Sector Consultants Inc.
517/484-4954

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN MICHIGAN SURVEY:
Results Reveal Internet Use, Computer Ownership Similar to 18 Months Ago, But Cell Phone Use is Up to 73 Percent of the Population

LANSING, June 7, 2004 — In its fifth statewide technology survey, cyber-state.org found that computer ownership and Internet usage has remained relatively unchanged since the 2002 survey. 70% of Michigan residents reported owning at least one computer (up from 66 percent), while the share of Michigan residents stating that they have accessed the Internet at some point in their lives rose only 3 percentage points to 70 percent. However, computer ownership continues to remain heavily influenced by race, presence of children in the home, and educational attainment.

“While the majority of Michigan residents have access to computers and are online to find information, make purchases, and interact with government, there is still work to be done to help everyone reap the benefits of information technology, “ says Jeffrey Taylor, Chairman of the Cyber-state.org Board of Directors and Executive Director of the Michigan Public Health Institute.

In this most recent survey, most respondents reported owning cellular phones (73 percent), an increase of 10 percent from the 2002 survey. Since 1998, the number of Michigan households without a cellular telephone has nearly dropped in half—from 49 to 27 percent—a rate of growth twice as fast as the growth of computers in the home. As was the case in the 2001 and 2002 surveys, ownership of cell phones in higher in both the City of Detroit and Metro Detroit than in other regions of the state.

“With the results of this latest survey, we have seen a growing concern among Michigan residents about privacy on the Internet. This includes the view of spam as a serious problem and an invasion of people’s privacy, as well as unease over public records - such as driving records, marriage records, and property tax records - being made available online,” says Taylor.

These are some of the findings discovered by the 2004 Information Technology in Michigan survey, conducted by cyber-state.org (www.cyber-state.org). Cyber-state.org, a member of the Altarum nonprofit family, was established in 1998 by Michigan’s business, education, health care, government, and philanthropic communities. Cyber-state.org’s vision is to help Michigan become a world leader in developing and using information technology in ways that better the life of every citizen.

The telephone and Internet-based surveys were written and conducted by Public Sector Consultants Inc. of Lansing, Michigan (www.pscinc.com). Other major findings include the following:

• The majority of respondents with Internet access at home continue to access the Internet via modem (54 percent); however, increasing shares report using DSL or cable modem connections. The overall increase in DSL and cable modem access between 2001 and 2004 is 25 percent.
• The 2004 survey found more Michigan residents seeking government services and information online. Approximately 3 out of 4 respondents said that they have accessed the state’s website (www.michigan.gov); this is up from 40 percent in 2002.
• Nearly two-thirds of all online Michiganders have made at least once purchase over the Internet (60 percent), a nearly five-fold increase from the first survey in 1998 (11 percent).
• The switch to cellular telephones as the “main” telephone over a landline is well underway in Michigan. Nearly one-quarter of respondents under age 25 (25 percent) and aged 25-34 (21 percent) report their cellular phone is their primary number, a rate at least twice as high as any other age group. Black respondents were three times as likely to report their cellular phone is their primary number as whites (28 and 9 percent, respectively).
• The 2002 survey marked the first time that a majority of the Michigan public—regardless of whether or not they had ever used the Internet—were “very concerned” that information they gave to a computer-based service or website would not be kept confidential; Internet respondents were not as concerned overall. This year, a majority of all respondents—public and Internet—report being “very concerned”.

For a copy of the survey and the written analysis, please call Jeff Williams at Public Sector Consultants Inc. (517/484-4954). The survey and analysis are also available on the Internet at www.cyber-state.org and www.pscinc.com.

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