2004 is crunch time for wireless data

Growing numbers of Wi-Fi enabled laptops, GPRS and 3G mobile handsets will make 2004 a breakthrough year for wireless data use, according to Ovum.

The analyst predicts that the rising number of GPRS and 3G handsets will encourage content and application developers by giving them a decent-sized market to aim at.

"After huge technical teething troubles, it looks as though mainstream 3G services and handsets will finally reach us in late 2004," said Julian Hewett, chief analyst at Ovum, in a research note.

He added that, while public wireless local area networking suffers from immaturity and an unclear business model, the number of Wi-Fi enabled laptops and the number of hotspots is growing rapidly.

"Development of the 'wireless enterprise' has been slow. But we expect to see more commitment from chief information officers in 2004," said Hewett.

"The key question with wireless data is that we still have no idea what people will pay for."

But the analyst warned that it is vital that people do pay for wireless data, otherwise the long-term future of the mobile industry will be grim.

"My belief is that, in the long term, mobile data will simply make up for declining mobile voice revenues," explained Hewett.

For smarter devices than phones, such as PDAs and laptops, the future seems a little brighter.

Analyst Datamonitor said last week that the convergence of voice and data networks would see more wireless networks deployed by enterprises, with manufacturing, financial services, education and healthcare picked out as key verticals for the technology.

Jess Thompson-Hughes, managing director of React Technologies, which resells Aruba wireless networking kit, said that the firm was seeing a high level of interest in wireless networks, although few full rollouts just yet.

He indicated that interest is particularly keen in financial services. "There are a lot of demos and trials being conducted by financial services firms," he said.

"In the US there are commercial deployments, but over here it is mostly still trials."

Thompson-Hughes said that the security fears expressed by many corporates were gradually receding as they saw how to identify and eliminate rogue access points to wired networks, which he said were their biggest concerns.

See also:

React recruits to turn up wireless volume

Sole distributor for Aruba plans to build up partner base  15 Nov 2004

IBM talks up voice and data software

Middleware suite designed to aid delivery of next-gen wireless voice and data services  01 Jul 2004

Bluetooth security 'crisis' looming

Class 1 standard easy for hackers to exploit, says security firm  17 Dec 2003

How to Sell: Wireless - Part 5 - Hotspots heat up

The public-access Wi-Fi market looks set for exponential growth, and resellers stand to benefit. Paul Bray reports.  10 Nov 2003

How to Sell: Wireless - Part 4 - Unfurling the standards

Resellers entering the wireless networking arena could find themselves spoilt for choice when it comes to technology, writes Guy Matthews.  03 Nov 2003

How to Sell: Wireless - Part 3 - Securing sales

Problems with wireless security are based on past flaws, and are perception rather than reality, writes Marc Ambasna-Jones.  27 Oct 2003

How to Sell: Wireless - Part 2 - Picking up wireless

Wireless networks are finding enthusiastic adopters in some surprising places. Pete Morris looks at the most promising markets for this growing technology.  19 Oct 2003

How to Sell: Wireless - Part 1 - Joining the wireless set

In the first of five examinations of the wireless market, Simon Meredith sees an industry finally coming of age.  12 Oct 2003

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