By 2004, a flood of new mobile devices in the enterprise will force at least 50 percent of Fortune 2000 companies to support three distinct solutions, according to Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT and ITB).
Gartner analysts said these IS departments will need to support low-speed wireless data only, voice plus Web access and high-speed wireless LAN access.
Gartner analysts provided their analysis on the future of wireless and mobile computing today during Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2001, which is taking place October 8 - 12 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Gartner analysts said enterprises must be selectively aggressive in the early adoption of only those mobile technologies that support key business initiatives and market imperatives.
"Enterprises should buy standardized devices for business users who can prove that they have a need, or provide an incentive program for employees to purchase all PDAs and smart phones throughout the company," said Ken Dulaney, vice president and research director for Gartner. "Unmanaged, untracked PDAs and phones must not synchronize with enterprise systems, unless the user agrees to install and maintain enterprise-supplied security, backup and auditing tools."
Gartner analysts said that by adopting multiple mobile-computing appliances, users are creating the "age of the personal area network (PAN)." By 2002, 80 percent of mobile devices in the enterprise will contain at least 20 percent personally managed programs and data. By 2003, mobile workers will spend at least 20 minutes per day in a personal data synchronization process.
"Key IS strategies for coping with this mobile device invasion will include constraining supported devices, adopting standardized synchronization tools and moving to higher-level application platforms that rely less on a specific operating system," Dulaney said.
Gartner forecasts that, by 2004, 60 percent of mobile workers will be compelled to carry technologies that offer instant response by voice and hourly response by e-mail. Currently, there is not a determined timetable when mobile workers with cell phones and PDAs will respond to an inquiry. With emerging technologies, the response time will improve dramatically.
"In many enterprises, the turnaround time of voice mail and e-mail are different," Dulaney said. "However, eventually they will converge to the point where users will have to respond in seconds, if they can. At that time, technology will force users to have integrated systems that will treat voice mail and e-mail as interchangeable media, tied together by personal switching systems that locate users and deliver the message in the most convenient media."
[ Home | Contact | MobiChat | Experts database | Let's do it ]
Comments to the content of this page can be posted on the MobiChat discussion group