Approximately 60 percent of the IT leaders surveyed in a recent study by the Cohen Research Group report that at least one quarter of their workforce is mobile, and 82 percent say at least some of their employees are using mobile applications for communication and collaboration. Five years ago, less than 25 percent of U.S. businesses issued most or all mobile phones for employees. Today that figure tops 61 percent, according to the Cohen study.
Industry analysts assert that employers are increasingly acquiring mobile devices for employees because it allows them to integrate said devices and related applications into their corporate strategy, communications network and services. In fact, the ability to better control and manage mobile devices will become more imperative as businesses continue to shift applications to the cloud and as more of their employees access these applications using mobile devices.
For example, IT respondents in the Cohen study intend to support video conferencing (46%), instant messaging (44%), single voicemail (41%), video calling (40%), web/group collaboration (35%), extension dialing (31%), corporate directory (27%) and presence management (24%) on mobile devices within the next three years.
Interestingly, despite the introduction of numerous smart phones over the past few years and their growing appeal, BlackBerry is still widely supported among IT business leaders, especially larger enterprises (67%), according to the Cohen study, which shows the following support for mobile devices among small, medium and large businesses:
- BlackBerry (51%)
- iPhone (40%)
- Android (31%)
- Basic mobile phones (30%)
- Tablets (30%)
- Other smartphones (21%)
The Cohen study and other recent surveys illustrate how mobility and cloud trends are changing the buying habits of businesses. We’re witnessing it first hand with strong customer interest in wireless laptop connectivity and Wifi hotspot devices, as well as group purchases of wireless bundles that make it easy to quickly equip organizations with mobile workforces.
If you would like to learn more about our mobile solutions and bundles, please reach out to your TelePacific representative or contact us.
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