British firms risk losing out on significant employee productivity gains due to old-fashioned attitudes towards embracing new technologies, from iPhones and iPads to Android smart phones and tablets, in the workplace. This is the conclusion of a survey commissioned by Six Degrees Group, a UK managed data service provider serving Britain’s mid-sized businesses.

The survey, conducted by research firm Vanson Bourne, found widely differing attitudes between businesses and their employees towards the growing ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) to work phenomenon. 200 businesses and 200 employees across the UK were surveyed.

The vast majority (78%) of employees believe that their own personal devices are superior to those provided by their employer. If they were able to use their own devices for work, employees estimate they would be at least seven percent more productive, and in many cases far higher.

The survey also found that most (84 percent) employees believe using their own device at work would place no extra burden on IT support, with almost a third more likely to troubleshoot problems themselves. Together, these findings suggest a compelling case for BYOD in the workplace.

Alastair Mills, CEO of Six Degrees Group, believes that the latest BYOD findings should have been great news for UK business. He said: “We’ve clearly reached a tipping point in technology: for the first time ever, our personal tech is better than our work tech. The trend towards BYOD reflects the fact that the UK has become one of the most connected, always on, societies and we now have technology at our fingertips that can make us even more successful.”