Unified communication will finally take hold as mobile collaboration makes desktop applications available on popular wireless devices, according to Light Reading's Unstrung Insider.

Demand for mobile collaboration services that allow mobile business users to extend desktop applications to their smartphones and other wireless devices will also result in stronger uptake of unified communications.

"The key to mobile collaboration is for the user to stay connected to the resources they need and want while moving between locations and networks," the report says. "For instance, many users want the ability to extend private branch exchange (PBX) and desk phone functionality to their mobile phone. However, productivity gains are often touted as the primary benefit of mobile collaboration."

"Mobile Collaboration: The Final Piece of the UC Puzzle" examines applications in the mobile collaboration market, including a comparative analysis of solutions and the most promising applications found in mobile collaboration.

It also examines target market sizes and vertical market strengths, as well as how vendors recommend achieving operational savings.

Further, it examines trends in the industry and a look at the supply chain. Finally, the report provides a competitive analysis of 11 of the top vendors in the industry.

According to the findings, Vendors believe that the integration of mobile into unified communications will finally bring widespread success to that industry.

Additionally, some hot applications for mobile collaboration include mobile presence, mobile IM, and the ability to turn mobile handsets into virtual PBXs

Most target markets for mobile collaboration vendors remain vague, as vendors try to address every market with their solutions.

The study found that healthcare and education will be the strongest verticals for mobile collaboration over the next year.

Open-source solutions present both opportunities and challenges, as vendors seek to make their solutions stand out while focusing on the bottom line.

In order to understand how mobile collaboration works, it is important to understand the variations between the offerings available.

"The need to increase employee productivity and lower mobile communication costs are major factors driving enterprises to reevaluate their mobile UC strategy," the report says. "By leveraging mobile collaboration, enterprises can ensure that their employees are continuously reachable, regardless of their location, meaning they are more available for customers and colleagues, and can answer questions or provide information as quickly as possible."

As vendors continue to develop their services and build a strong user base, they are facing uncertainty in terms of the supply chain.

This is especially true in light of offerings from open source vendors; however, open source will spur development of new products and services in mobile collaboration.

"Vendors will continue to seek ways to work with carriers, open source solutions, and others to bring mobility to the worker and make it possible for smartphones to be truly ubiquitous in nature," the report says. "The ability to have one number, one email address, access any follow-me service, true PBX functionality, and so many more desktop features from a wireless device are vital to a workforce that is facing a daunting economy.

"Additionally, enterprises are desperate to trim their bottom line costs and mobile collaboration provides cost savings in terms of capex, opex, and productivity that simply cannot be ignored," it says.