Gartner: Mobile phones to overtake landlines in business by 2011

Computerworld - Pointing to a trend expected to profoundly affect how businesses plan and pay for telecommunications services in North America, an analyst firm says mobile phones will outnumber wired lines and desktop phones in the office by 2011.

In a recently updated a forecast for business phone usage, Gartner Inc. said that 23% of workers will use only a mobile phone in 2012, up from about 4% today.

With that growth, the number of workers with only a desktop phone will remain slightly above 10% between now and 2012, Gartner said. The first year that the number of users with only a mobile phone surpasses those with only a desktop phone is 2011.

The forecast also predicts that business users with both a mobile phone and a desktop phone will make up the overwhelming majority but will decrease from more than 80% today to less than 70% in 2012.

Gartner analyst Phillip Redman attributed the growth in mobile phones in businesses to a strong trend toward corporate support of cellular services. While companies used to have individuals put cellular service charges on expense reports, companies are starting to pay upfront, he noted.

Wireless e-mail and the emergence of smart phones that can be integrated with IP telephone systems have helped the wireless adoption trend, he added.

Redman urged IT managers to begin planning an investment timeline for wireless. He said that planning for internal cellular coverage will also be necessary, since some signals can be weak inside large buildings.

Another preparation would be to consolidate telecommunications services with one provider to get the best deal. Gartner has begun seeing carriers offer large business users 25% discounts off list prices for bundled, unlimited flat-rate calling for voice and data services, Redman said.

In addition, Redman urged IT shops to support fewer device platforms to lower application development and support costs.

Help desks also need to be staffed with personnel familiar in device platforms and wireless operations.

Read more about mobile and wireless in Computerworld's Mobile and Wireless Knowledge Center.