OVH Barometer on the Digital Society - #2: The Digital Economy

Quebeckers believe in technology as a growth engine but new types of economies have not yet created a passion

MONTREAL, Dec. 5, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Delay in the shift to digital in Quebec or, to the contrary, heavy assimilation of technological uses? The OVH Barometer on the Digital Society #2, a study devoted to the "digital economy" and conducted between July 21 and 28, 2017,¹ polled 2,000 residents of Ontario and Quebec and revealed that Quebeckers are unevenly affected by technology, particularly in professional spheres. Older respondents believe they are at a disadvantage compared to millennials, whereas our society lags somewhat behind in the adoption of tools and uses that make up the New Economy. 

HIGHLIGHTS

1. In Quebec, the work habits of people in the 55+ group have been changed the most by technology, whereas in Ontario, the millennials appear to be more impacted.
2. Citizens believe that digital technology is a major economic growth catalyst in the province.
3. Generation Z is seen as having a big advantage when it comes to being hired.
4. Digital applications that Quebeckers like to use: real estate attracts more than the economy of sharing (Uber, Airbnb, crowdfunding, etc.)

Moderate impact of technology in the workplace?
In Quebec, the impact technology has on work (computer tools, web applications, cloud computing platforms, etc.) is not perceived in the same proportion: though 42% of Quebeckers believe their work has only been marginally affected by technology, only 34% believe that the impact has been significant.
Could this mean that some economic sectors are lagging behind others in the shift to digital technology? "It comes as no surprise that some sectors are traditionally more reluctant or slower to make the move over to digital technology. One could also think that with the transition under way, the massive adoption of digital tools in the private sphere is helping to close the gap quickly with the professional sphere," points out Guillaume Gilbert, the Press and Communications Officer at OVH Canada. The generational effect also has some bearing as the 55+ believe they have been impacted more by technology in their work (41%) than those in the 35-54 and the 18-34 age brackets (30% respectively). Women in Quebec (38%) outnumber men (30%) in the belief that their work has been severely transformed by technology.

Surprisingly, in Ontario, millennials claim that they have been the most "strongly" impacted by technology at work at 29%, versus 22% in the 35-54 and 23% in the 55+ categories.  "The digital reality in Ontario is clearly very different than in Quebec," says Guillaume Gilbert. "It is quite surprising to note that millennials believe they are the most affected by the digital transformation in the workplace. We would think that in times when clusters of innovation appear, new trades emerge.  These shake things up, and millennials are often the ones who think of them and invent them."  A recent study by the Institute for the Future (IFTF) revealed that 85% of jobs that will be occupied in 2030 do not yet exist.

Technology seen as a strong growth catalyst for our citizens
According to the OVH Barometer, 85% of Quebeckers believe that technology helps stimulate economic growth. This percentage rises to 86% among the 18-34 segment and climbs to almost virtual unanimity (95%) among Quebeckers who earn more than $100,000 and those with the most advanced educations (91%). Conversely, those in the lowest income brackets are less inclined to see technology as an economic catalyst (78%).

To no one's surprise, millennials in Ontario are the biggest believers in the positive impact of technology on growth (90% of the 18-34 group as compared with 83% of Ontarians on average).

In the final analysis, do millennials have the greatest advantage in a digital society?
Quebeckers seem convinced (77%) that mastery of the digital culture represents a huge asset to being hired. The question of whether available vocational training offered to the unemployed matches the digital requirements of companies was asked. Though 77% of Ontarians think along these lines, only 63% of Quebeckers share this opinion, the most skeptical of whom are those in the 35-54 age group.

Once again, the generational gap comes into play, as 82% of Quebeckers believe that Generation Z (also known as digital natives or "digital children," i.e., those who grew up in a digital environment) have the inside track in terms of finding a job due to their natural aptitude in using the latest technology.  

The 55+ feel the most disadvantaged in comparison with the millennials: 51% believe that young people who grew up in the Internet culture have an advantage in professional circles, whereas only 36% of those in the 18-34 segment feel that they do have an advantage.

"People often think that the grass is greener on the other side, and this also applies to how we perceive other generations. Bear in mind that the older generations had to adjust to technological tools, unlike millennials who have always been steeped in this culture. It is perhaps easier for them, but they will also have to adjust to the Intelligent Society, mega data and the cloud computing revolution," said Guillaume Gilbert. 

The New Economy not favoured by most Quebeckers
More surprisingly, collaborative economy applications such as Airbnb or Uber are not top of mind among those surveyed. Only 30% rank them among the most useful applications, and naturally, those in the 18-34 group (36%) make more use of them. Crowdfunding applications rank third at 25%. One application that indicates property values in real time is the one found to be most useful by Quebeckers (45%), particularly in the 55+ segment (52% versus 39% for those between 18 and 34).

A recent CEFRIO survey also shows that the economy of sharing has not gained traction with everyone. For example, it indicated that only 5% of adults in Quebec use Airbnb and 1% the Couchsurfing collaborative accommodation platform.

About OVH
OVH is a global hyper-scale provider that offers companies top-notch value and performance in the sector. Founded in 1999, the group manages and maintains 22 data centres on 4 continents, deploys its own global fibre optics network and masters the entire supply chain. Using its own infrastructures, OVH proposes simple and powerful tools and solutions, which make technology available to organizations and revolutionize the work habits of more than one million clients around the world. OVH has always been firmly committed to respecting the individual and rights, and making access to new technologies available to everyone. For OVH, "Innovation is Freedom."

Proudly established in Quebec since 2012
Active in Canada since 2012, OVH has rolled out four business units, in Montreal, Beauharnois, Quebec City and Toronto, at which it employs more than 200 people. Its 360,000-server data center in Beauharnois (South Shore of Montreal) is one of the largest in the world.  It is also one of the most ecological. Connected to the nearby hydroelectric power plant, it ensures the supply of green energy. It combines the use of cooling liquid technologies on the servers and optimizes the airflow inside the facilities, allowing it to reduce its energy bill by half.

SOURCE OVH