NO FEAR OF INFO-HIGHWAY
By Adnews Staff
Even though Canadian consumers don't know much about the information superhighway, they're not afraid of it, according to a study carried out by Impact Recherche for Cossette Communication-Marketing. Questionnaires were answered by 1,160 people in Quebec City, Montreal and Toronto, from November 1994 to February 1995. Researchers found that 58% of Quebecois respondents and 65% of Torontonians felt the information highway will have a positive impact on their lives. At the same time, 80% of Quebecers and 55% of Torontonians admitted to being unfamiliar with the technology. When respondents were asked about what services they would find most valuable and they gave the following answers in descending order of popularity: reservations, information searches, automated teller service, e-mail, pay-per-view, video games and television purchases. Another survey done by Impact noted that 49% of adults in Quebec had used a debit card in the previous week. This dependence on bank cards suggests that people will embrace technology if its simple and if the service it offers is just too good to pass on.