Business people, such as those who work in IT support, are becoming bigger fans of mobile devices, a platform which seems to be usurping laptops when it comes to popularity, it is said.

Michael W Thomas, the director of customer relationship management and social media strategy at Neighborhood America, said that added functionality to smartphones and similar devices is allowing real-time access to certain vital information.

He explained that especially in the current climate, having access to such data on the move is pretty much necessary in modern business.

Mr Thomas added: "Since the devices are connected to the companies' IT infrastructure the security checks are also included to ensure the integrity of the data.

"The proverbial third screen is the mobile device and the first choice of all types of communication."

Neighborhood is a leading provider of enterprise social software solutions to businesses and government agencies across the Atlantic.

A recent Connect survey found that the two major concerns about outsourcing services like IT support were 'loss of control' (56 per cent) and 'budget over-runs' (43 per cent).