Gartner: mobile phone sales to resist economic downturn

In a recent end-user research report, IDC found that more than 50 percent of Australian SMBs exhibit entrenched usage behaviour of mobile and wireless technology.

The report named ‘Australia Small and Medium-Sized Business Wireless and Mobility Technology Adoption 2007’ investigates mobile and wireless technology usage, adoption, and preferences of Australian SMBs.

According to the report, mobile phones are strongly entrenched in Australia’s current working culture. As a result, SMB mobile data spending is steadily increasing, primarily driven by mobile email, courtesy of the widespread availability of 3G and 3.5G mobile networks.

“Business adoption and usage of mobile email is the most dominant application,” said Jean-Marc Annonier, research manager for SMB Markets, IDC. “However ‘second-wave’ business productivity applications, such as field force and sales force automation, are currently idling as developments are in still in progress. Leading mobility providers are taking this opportunity to revamp and streamline their communications solutions.”

Annonier asserted that there is a great deal of opportunity to educate the SMB market about the benefits of mobilising business communications and eventually, applications.

“Developments around enterprise mobility suites as well as the hype around Unified Communications creates a very valid case in demonstrating that ‘first-wave’ enterprise mobility has a great deal of potential left untapped and is a powerful catalyst to mobile applications,” he said. Other findings of the report include the continuing development of dual-mode mobile handsets. IDC claimed mass-market handsets such as Nokia’s E65 are beginning to make an impact, and highly anticipated mobile phone releases such as RIM’s BlackBerry range are now offering Wi-Fi connectivity, opening the door to developments such as VoIP and mobile email over Wi-Fi and 3G.

The study also took an in-depth look at the “prosumer” effect, claiming it is driving mobility adoption.