A new study shows that businesses are most likely to look to wireless carriers-instead of device makers or computer suppliers-for their wireless data needs. Further, the business market represents a major opportunity for wireless, as enterprises have increased their spending on the technology by 36 percent.
The results, from NOP World Technology’s Business Mobility Study, show large corporations are major buyers of wireless services and technology. The firm found 39 percent of respondents look to their wireless carriers to supply wireless data technology, while 14 percent look to computer suppliers and 13 percent look to mobile-phone manufacturers.
“When it comes to wireless data, businesses are thinking of their carriers such as Verizon Wireless and others as their primary vendor because reliability and coverage is so critical,” said Richard March, the research firm’s senior vice president. “However, other players such as handset manufacturers and computer makers may grow in influence as more productivity and industry-specific applications are developed for wireless.”
In other findings, the study shows Motorola Inc. is the most preferred brand for mobile phones with 20 percent of respondents picking the company. Nokia Corp. came in second at 12 percent, and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. scored 11 percent.
“BlackBerry is an acknowledged contender both in data solutions and voice solutions,” March said. “The question is whether brands such as Motorola that are strong in the voice portion of the market can challenge traditional data powerhouses such as Dell and vice versa.”
The firm also found more than 70 percent of businesses use mobile phones, and more than one-third of large companies use smart phones. Further, two-thirds of respondents said they would like to have a consistent operating system across all their wireless data devices.
