Qualcomm and Teleepoch Enter Into a 3G CDMA Subscriber Unit License Agreement, October 6, 2007

MTN chooses Cambridge Broadband Networks for multi-service wireless network in Rwanda, October 6, 2007

Brazilian government to publish 3G bidding rules soon, October 6, 2007

KTF 3G service suffers from technical problems, October 6, 2007

Argentina’s Personal lunches 3G service in Rosario, October 6, 2007

Russia has it's first 3G network, October 6, 2007

AT&T could drop Alcatel-Lucent as 3G mobile network supplier, October 6, 2007

Enea Extends License Agreement with ZTE for 3G Handsets, October 2, 2007

LG to unveil premium handsets in Brazil, October 2, 2007

KTF 3G subscribers doubled in less than 3 months, October 2, 2007

3G policy in India will be non-uniform, October 2, 2007

- previous news

The year of the Smartphone

March 31, 2005

Enterprise interest in Smartphone adoption has rebounded sharply with almost half of all IT managers saying they would consider deploying them as business tools, according to an annual survey conducted for Intuwave, the mobile software specialist. While this growing enthusiasm is accompanied by a pragmatic approach to the technology, Intuwave believes that perceived barriers to deployment will be solved this year making 2005 a pivotal year for enterprise adoption of Smartphones.

47% of enterprise IT Managers said that they would consider deploying Smartphones: this is a sharp increase over the 33% of last year and demonstrates the growing confidence in Smartphones as business productivity tools. Also, while 38% of this year's respondents were uncertain about Smartphone deployment, only a small minority rejected the idea outright.

Steve Swatman, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Intuwave commented, "The surge of interest in Enterprise deployment of Smartphones is a huge boost to the mobile industry, especially following previous doubts that the devices weren't yet ready for primetime. The emergence of truly enterprise-class devices such as the Nokia 9500, full commercial roll-outs of 3G networks and growing economies of scale from mass-market adoption of Smartphones all contribute to business acceptance of Smartphones. As a result, we believe that 2005 really will be the year of the Smartphone."

When asked what factors would prevent deployment of Smartphones in their organisation, 43% cited lack of 3G networks as a significant concern in 2005, rising from 20% in 2004, and 50% saw the cost of devices as a highly significant barrier to deployment in 2005, doubling since 2004.

"The enterprise customer's perception is lagging behind reality. 3G networks are rolled out yet some people worry about their availability. Devices get more affordable yet concerns about cost persist. This is all about education: as Smartphone deployments grow, so do the perceived risks of using them. We - as an industry - need to help enterprise customers see the Smartphone is a viable platform for mobilising business applications if we are to capitalise on the clear market demand for Smartphone-based solutions."

Overall, the majority of IT managers recognise the Smartphone as a valuable multi-functional tool for many business users, and growth in user demand will accelerate this enterprise adoption.