Interactive voice response (IVR) applications rely heavily on both landline and mobile phone technology to function successfully.  To access an IVR system, either via an inbound or outbound call, users must have access to some type of phone connection even if over the Internet using a VoIP-enabled system.

Overall, the telecommunications industry has been booming in recent years, with the huge upsurge in smartphone purchases and activity continuously boosting phone usage and telecom profits.

There are myriad statistics detailing the shift from landlines to mobile phones.  According to the Chicago Tribune, one in four homes in the U.S. relies exclusively on cell phones to receive their calls.  One in every seven homes has a landline yet receives the bulk of their calls on cell phones.

These statistics are staggering considering that the mobile phone hasn’t been around for very long.  So just how important is a mobile phone to its owner?  Turns out, very important.

Mashable recently reported on a survey conducted by TeleNav that details how willing Americans are to give up their cell phones.  What will people give up just to keep their mobile phone?

Various questions were posed in which the user was asked if they would rather give up their mobile phone for a week or various items.  The answers were shocking.  Twenty percent of people would give up their computer for a week to keep their mobile phone, 21% their shoes, 22% their toothbrush, 33% sex, 54% exercise, 55% caffeine, 63% chocolate and 70% alcohol—just to keep their mobile phone.

While some of these items might not seem like a big deal for some, almost a fifth of people were willing to give up basic necessities like shoes and toothbrushes just to keep their mobile phone.  The article states: “Smartphone users were twice as likely as feature phone users to give up hot showers rather than their phone for one week.”

The survey went on to question smartphone user behavior by brand (Apple, Android and Blackberry).  Twenty-eight percent of Apple users, 23% of Android users and 18% of Blackberry users would rather go a week without seeing their significant other than giving up their phone.  Eighteen percent of Apple users, 21% of Android users and 23% of Blackberry users would rather lose their wallet or purse than their phone.

Plum Voice operates heavily in the telecom arena, with IVR users being heavily and consistently reliant on cell phones to maintain both their personal and professional livelihood.  The importance of uninterrupted connectivity continues to increase with technological innovation, making users the world over intimately dependent on their telephones.