Although the CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment show is supposed to address both the enterprise and the entertainment segments equally, the enterprise has consistently been overshadowed by the more-glamorous entertainment side. At next week's conference in San Francisco, however, there will be lots of talk about new smart phone capabilities and growth of wireless email. M:Metrics Founder and Senior Analyst Seamus McAteer said that he expects the CTIA conference to be a showcase for smart phones, particularly those geared toward enterprise applications.
But Bill Hughes, wireless technology analyst at In-Stat, believes that there is still a huge disconnect on the part of wireless carriers when it comes to the enterprise because most still treat this market as an afterthought, even though it is the most lucrative segment. "The bulk of profits come from business users," Hughes said.
Hughes says that when it comes to enterprise applications email is critical because this is an application that is easy for corporations to justify. While other applications may improve productivity or make people work more efficiently, they are often much more difficult for managers to justify the expense.
On Monday a special interest seminar, Enterprise Mobility, hosted by AT&T Mobility and Accenture will feature discussions on such topics as how wireless delivers value to enterprises. Speakers include AT&T Mobility's Mike Woodward, vice president, business markets group and Accenture's Michael Russell, partner, North American Enterprise Practice.
We also expect to hear from enterprise-oriented companies such as Integrated Mobile, Movero Technology and others that help bridge the gap between the carrier and the enterprise segment at next week's confab. These firms are likely to become increasingly visible as carriers strive to make more inroads in the enterprise market. -Sue