I concur with this--maybe it's the field in which I happen to work, but I have been on a first-name basis with the vast majority of my business contacts, whether on my level in an organization, above or below. Being addressed as "Mr. _____" tends to throw me for a loop in a business setting. Being addressed by my given name, and addressing others by theirs, establishes collegiality.

(OTOH, I don't sell used cars or practice law, and in those settings, I tend to favor the use of surnames. I am not seeking to establish collegiality with a car salesman.)