Vodafone advises users to keep quiet

EMPLOYERS need to impress the need for discretion upon their employees, says mobile phone outfit Vodafone, as new research reveals that indiscreet public conversations are a threat to company security.

A Vodafone survey found that more than 70 per cent of all workers talk business on their mobile phones in public, with 20 per cent discussing confidential subjects such as sales leads, confidential products or services whilst travelling.

More amusingly, 26 per cent admitted to following up a lead they had overheard in someone else’s phone conversation.

“This research shows that people need to consider which contact method they use when communicating sensitive information on the move – whether that be voice, text or email,” says Mark Bond, Director of Enterprise, Vodafone UK.

“Vodafone provides customers with access to many forms of communication on the move, allowing business people, when necessary, to switch to more discrete methods such as text or mobile email.”

Over half of the 2,000+ mobile phone users surveyed said that they always talk business on the phone in public and never switch to a more private communication channel such as email or text.

The research also reveals that mobile phone users admit to discussing their sex lives, as well as those of other people, while talking on the phone in public. While only one in five discussed their own love lives, six out of ten were more than happy to discuss the private lives of their chums.

Luckily, Vodafone is installing new mobile repeater technology on Virgin trains, meaning people will no longer need to shout out their innermost secrets. It will indeed be a refreshing change to have to ask the motormouths to speak up rather than shut up. µ