All... Article on US demand for wireless data...
Demand for Portable Computing and Wireless
Products Expected to Surge
April 1, 1998
NEWTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE) via
NewsEdge Corporation -- According to the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, approximately 50 million people in
the US are mobile, that is they are involved in
occupations that require them to be away from their
home base for a significant period of time. On
average, mobile workers spend half their time away
from the office. A new survey recently released by
Business Research Group (BRG), Mobile Worker
Demand for Wireless Equipment and Services,
outlines the demand from these workers for mobile
and wireless equipment and services. In this study,
BRG defines mobile communications as the ability
for people to use portable communications devices
(i.e., portable computers, cellular/PCS phones,
pagers) while away from their office.
"While conducting research for this report, we found
that although mobile workers still primarily use
wireline phones to communicate with coworkers,
they are becoming more mobile as the majority also
use cellular phones, laptops with e-mail, and pagers
to communicate with coworkers," said Rebecca
Diercks, Director of Wireless Research. "With
portable computing, workers can extend their day -
when they return home they can continue their work.
They can also make better use of their time when
traveling on business. As a result, workers are more
productive and efficient. These are two reasons we
expect the demand for portable computing products,
as well as wireless products, to continue to surge in
the foreseeable future," Ms. Diercks added.
The new report shows a dramatic change in usage
and purchases of mobile communications from
BRG's 1995 study. For instance, the 1995 report
showed that laptops were frequently used in addition
to desktop computers. The new research shows that
laptops are replacing desktop computers at a rate of
one in three because of available enhanced features
including larger screen sizes, better resolution,
bigger hard disk drives, and CD-ROMs. Laptops are
often a mobile worker's only computer. Due to this
change in behavior, companies are spending more
per laptop today ($3,418 versus $2,660 in 1995).
Over the past two years, remote access has
become a standard application. Today, three out of
four portable computer users rely on these devices
to communicate with other computers or networks.
In 1995, only half of portable computer users
remotely accessed computers and networks.
Despite these changes in the past two years, mobile
workers still rely on traditional phone lines for data
access. They have not adopted wireless data
services to any significant degree. Today, 86% of
mobile workers that communicate with corporate
computers or networks do so via a wired modem
connection.
In 1995, 4% of mobile workers used wireless data
services to remotely access corporate computers
and networks. This figure has doubled to 8%. These
data show that management still does not see a
requirement for this capability. BRG sees barriers
such as high cost, poor security, and low data
speeds as hindrances to wireless data adoption.
Highest implementation rates occur at companies
with field service and healthcare workers.
The adoption of wireless communications would
allow mobile workers to be more efficient and
accessible and would remove the last tether tying
them to the office. The majority of respondents
believe that wireless data rates must equal wireline
data rates. Two out of three respondents agree that
the ability to access both Internet and corporate
intranets via wireless communications would be
useful to their workers. As carriers recognize the
reasons for slow adoption, they are working to
improve network availability, performance, and cost
to increase desirability to use wireless data
services. As BRG sees it, it is not a matter of if this
market will take off, but rather when.
To evaluate the trend toward remote environments
and to understand mobile workers' communications
requirements, BRG interviewed 300 individuals at
small, medium, and large companies across various
industries. BRG interviewed managers of mobile
workforces such as field sales and services, public
safety, field engineers, delivery, and management.
This research study updates BRG's 1995 report,
Untethering the Mobile Worker: Projected Demand
for Wireless Equipment and Services. These studies
ascertain mobile workers' current and future portable
computing and wireless communications needs.
Business Research Group, a division of Cahners
Business Information, is a leading supplier of
demand-side research and consulting services for
the information technology industry. BRG's
quantitative and qualitative primary research enables
clients to more confidently and successfully
measure market opportunities for their products and
services in the communications, electronics,
financial, healthcare, manufacturing, publishing,
retail/wholesale trade, and transportation industries.
BRG's current areas of research include mobile
data, wireless PCS, distributed computing platforms,
enterprise software, Internet architecture, Internet
commerce and applications, market segmentation
(small, medium, and large organizations), network
architecture, network and systems management,
and telecommunications. Headquartered in Newton,
MA, BRG also has locations in San Jose, CA;
Dallas, TX; and Monroe, CT. A complete research
catalog, including abstracts and tables of contents,
is available at brgresearch.com.
Mobile Worker Demand for Wireless Equipment and
Services was written by Rebecca Diercks. To
interview Ms. Diercks on this report, please call her
at 617.558.4748. For information on receiving this or
any other Business Research Group report, contact
Kerry Dwyer (voice: 617.558.4580, fax:
617.558.4585, email: dwyer@brg.cahners.com).
Graphics can also be obtained from Ms. Dwyer.
CONTACT: Business Research Group | Kerry
Dwyer, 617/558-4580
[Copyright 1998, Business Wire] |
