Smartphones, BYOD, and Mobile Data Plans to Drive $340 Billion Enterprise Mobile Services Market

In an update to ABI Research’s “Enterprise Mobility” market data, mobile services revenues from mobile business users worldwide will grow to $340 billion by 2017.  The data includes voice, messaging, handset data plans, mobile broadband and enterprise apps, and management services revenues.

Comments enterprise practice director Dan Shey, “Mobility suppliers need to pay attention to the enterprise market as revenues represent over 30% of the mobile services market and will grow twice as fast as the consumer 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.”

Analysis of the mobile business customer smartphone base shows that in developed regions like North America and Western Europe, smartphone penetration will grow to over 90%.  Even in developing regions with low smartphone penetration, total employees with smartphones will be significant – mobile business customers in all other regions represent over 70% share of the global enterprise subscriber market.

What do mobile suppliers need to do to capture this market:

• Operators – Innovate on packaging and pricing so that employees increasing their business use of their personally purchased phones can find the business apps or easily upgrade to enterprise-ready devices;
• Device Vendors – Every smartphone vendor should have a portfolio of enterprise-ready devices that not only include the necessary enterprise-grade security features but also preloaded business apps such as forms apps allowing businesses to more easily mobilize their workforces;
• IT and Platform Suppliers – Build best of breed partnerships to serve the growing enterprise mobility management services market; ensure that solutions can address vertical needs.

ABI Research’s “Enterprise Mobility” market data provides a single view of the regional differences in mobile services adoption by enterprise users across 7 world regions.  Mobile services analysis is provided for voice, messaging, handset data plans, mobile broadband plans, mobile enterprise application services, and mobile device management services.  More granular views are provided in regional data sets which provide segmentation for 22 occupations, 20 industry verticals, and 4 sizes of business based on employment including data for the US and Canadian markets.

These findings are part of ABI Research’s Enterprise Mobility Applications and Services and Mobile Enterprise Technologies Research Services.

ABI Research provides in-depth analysis and quantitative forecasting of trends in global connectivity and other emerging technologies. From offices in North America, Europe and Asia, ABI Research’s worldwide team of experts advises thousands of decision makers through 70+ research and advisory services. Est. 1990. For more information visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.