Friday, October 17, 2008

Enterprise Mobility Demand Still Growing

Roughly half of all  business and consumer communications spending goes to wireless services. But there appear to be relatively-distinct niches within the enterprise mobile user base. The "information worker" segment, including sales, information technology and managers use real-time data, email, calendar and portal accessed applications, say reserachers at Forrester Research. There are lots of devices used and IT staff tends to have limited control over them.

"Task workers" such as supply chain personnel, medical personnel, manufacturers and others using line-of-business applications on a single device such as inventory scanners, data entry tablets. IT tends to have significant control over the limited range of supported devices. 

But there is an emerging demand from "wannabes," including just about any worker not represented in one of the two other segments. Wannabees likely will use a wide range of devices for email, calendar, product information management and basic portal access, for work and personal uses. IT will have to support a wide range of devices and will have limited control over them, Forrester argues.

So far, though 57 percent of smart phone users engage in work--related phone calls, 
48 percent check email and 42 percent acess the Internet or a company Intranet for work related information. Some 35 percent of users say they use their smart phones "only for personal purposes." Keep in mind that nearly seven out of 10 enterprise mobility users pay for their own service. 

At the moment, 69 percent of employees pay for their voice service, while 23 percent have mobile paid for by the employer, Forrester says. About eight percent of workers cost share with their employers. 

About 59 percent of employees pay for their own mobile data services. About 34 percent have their mobile data service paid for by their employers. About seven percent of workers have a cost share agreement with their employer. 

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