E-mail the 'killer application' for the corporate mobile market

April 26, 2001

Mobile access to e-mail will be the true killer application in the corporate mobile internet market, according to a new report from telecoms consultancy BWCS.

The report states that overwhelming demand for continuous access to e-mail accounts will transform the corporate mobile market over the next 18 months. BWCS believes that corporate use of mobile e-mail is set to generate global revenues of just over US$8bn (E8.96bn) by 2006.

However, BWCS warns that operators must move now to satisfy this demand and not wait until the arrival of 2.5G and 3G services.

BWCS Consultant and report author Ross Parsons said: "Less than two per cent of the corporate mobile user base in Europe and the US currently has access to true e-mail via mobile devices.

"However, in the next 18 months to two years we expect this to increase dramatically as a new wave of bolt-on servers allowing wireless interconnection with the corporate network are installed. By the end of 2006, BWCS believes that 75 per cent of all corporate mobile users will be receiving and sending e-mails via their mobile handsets."

BWCS’ new report highlights the growing demand for wireless interconnectivity from large and medium-sized businesses in Europe and the US. The chief drivers behind this are a desire to increase productivity and to maintain a constant link with key personnel. Mobile access to e-mail will effectively create the first level of connection between all workers possessing mobile handsets and their place of work.

The first quarter of this year has seen a spate of announcements concerning systems integrators joining forces with other players in the equipment market to help meet the demand for e-mail access on mobile devices. Mobile operators are expected to follow suit very soon.

Parsons said: "The experience of i-Mode in Japan has shown that access to mail is by far the most popular application among mobile internet users and the soaring popularity of SMS among consumer and corporate users in Europe demonstrates that mobile subscribers need to communicate via text as well as and, in many situations, instead of voice. In the corporate environment this is not simply desirable, it is critical."

Angela Hall is assistant editor of Europemedia.net. She previously worked as a daily news reporter in Canada for the Edmonton Journal. Angela holds a journalism degree from Carleton University.