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October 29, 2007
ABI: Growth Ahead for Mobile Line of Business Applications
By Mae Kowalke, TMCnet Senior Editor
Once upon a time, corporate data was available only to employees on premise, using desktop PCs connected to the company intranet
. Since this information was locked in- house, employees working while traveling or from home were handicapped in their ability to operate efficiently.
. Since this information was locked in- house, employees working while traveling or from home were handicapped in their ability to operate efficiently. The rise of mobile computing devices—laptops, smartphones, PDAs—has driven the development of mobile line of business applications, which allow remote workers to access corporate information. A new report from ABI Research (News - Alert) out Monday predicted that the mobile line of business application industry will experience compounded annual growth rate of more than 12 percent during the next five years.
ABI Analyst Dan Shey (News - Alert) said two main forces are driving the development and availability of such applications: support for mobility strategies internally and through value-added reseller community development, and requests from businesses for solutions that enable access of company-relevant data on mobile devices.
“But, these forces of supply and demand are only possible because of greatly improved handset capabilities and wireless broadband access,” Shey said a statement.
Mobile line of business applications can be used by a variety of different field employees, ABI noted, including those working in sales, transportation, protective services, repair and maintenance, and healthcare. Since these applications are offered via the Sofware-as-a-Service model through subscriptions, both enterprises and small businesses can benefit.
ABI added in its report that growth in line of business applications will also drive growth for additional services.
“Mobile data plan revenues will grow at a 29 percent CAGR over the next five years in large part due to mobile line of business application growth,” Shey said. “More companies will see the benefits of mobile device management services as a cost-effective way to support LOB and other applications being used by their mobile workforce.”
Want to learn more about the topic covered in this article? Check out TMCnet’s White Paper Library, a collection of in-depth information on relevant topics affecting the IP communications industry. This information is free to registered users.
communications industry. This information is free to registered users. Mae Kowalke is an associate editor for TMCnet, covering VoIP, CRM, call center and wireless technologies. She also blogs for TMCnet here.
, CRM, call center and wireless technologies. She also blogs for TMCnet here. 
