Enterprise mobility market expected to reach $340 billion by 2017

Revenues generated by the enterprise mobility market are expected to grow twice as fast as the consumer market over the next five years, reaching $340 billion by 2017, according to the latest estimate by ABI Research.

This estimate includes revenues generated by voice messaging, handset data plans, mobile broadband and enterprise apps, as well as management services revenues.

So, mobile operators, device makers, and IT and platform suppliers should target that growth market as the consumer market slows, advises ABI.

The enterprise market revenues represent over 30 percent of the mobile services market. "The underlying driver of this growth is simply BYOD and specifically the adoption of smartphones. Without a strategy to serve the employee audience with apps and services that addresses their business and personal needs, suppliers will miss out on this important market," observed ABI analyst Dan Shey.

In North America and Western Europe, business smartphone penetration is expected to grow to over 90 percent. Even in developing regions with low smartphone penetration, the total number of employees with smartphones will be significant--mobile business customers in all other regions represent over 70 percent share of the global enterprise subscriber market, according to ABI figures.

To capture the enterprise market, Shey recommends that mobile operators offer innovative packaging and pricing so that employees bringing their personal devices to work can find business apps or upgrade to enterprise-ready devices.

Smartphone makers should have a portfolio of enterprise-ready devices that not only include enterprise-grade security features but also preloaded business apps, enabling businesses to more easily mobilize their workforce, Shey advises.

IT and platform suppliers should form partnerships to serve the growing enterprise mobility management services market and ensure that solutions can address vertical needs, he notes.

The enterprise mobility train is moving fast. It's time for mobile carriers, device makers and IT suppliers to jump aboard or risk being left at the station.

For more:
- check out ABI's data

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