A Sybase 365 survey found that 56 percent of respondents cited advancements in interoperability would drive the largest impact for mobile innovation, followed by increased standards, security and government regulation.

A whopping 45 percent of respondents cited mobile bandwidth will enable the growth for new mobile services, followed by pricing (27 percent), improved browser security (13 percent) and globally managed IP networks (15 percent). There are huge opportunities for wireless carriers to expand their business through new services.

?Consumerization of IT started with the introduction of smartphones like the iPhone followed by the iPad and now there are many different devices and form factors on the market which mobile workers want to use for business or bring into the enterprise,? said Bill Dudley, group director of product management and operator services at Sybase 365, Reston, VA.

?This includes recent buzz around tablet PC's with the iPad and a slew of Android OS based tablets from OEM's such as Samsung and Dell to name a few,? he said. ?Sybase recognizes the demand to bring all these Android devices into the enterprise, as well as to support these in an outreach to these devices in consumer hands. 

?We do believe that Android devices will compete quite well with the likes of the Apple iPad and BlackBerry Playbook.?  

Carrier challenges
The Sybase 365 study found that wireless carriers face the challenge of Internet and IP networks not being able to keep up the required quality of service.

Carrier networks can improve their service by moving to IPX, which delivers real-time information through a single secure connection, increasing security, improving quality and cutting costs.

For services such as mobile commerce,  where security is one of the biggest challenges, this is a game changer. With the crowded carrier field out there, those who are able to offer better quality control and a more secure network will have the competitive advantage.

In the next year, 33 percent of respondents expect to see the biggest advancements in mobile enterprise application initiatives, ahead of mobile marketing/advertising (29 percent), mobile financial services (28 percent) and mobile loyalty programs (9 percent).

?The world as we know it is changing at a rapid rate,? Mr. Dudley said. ?The mobile space, in particular, is exploding with possibilities.

?New types of communication are converging with new kinds of connected devices, new technology and new trends and lack of interoperability could slow down the whole ecosystem,? he said.

?We believe that interoperability across services and device platforms is essential to overcome issues of fragmentation ? whether that is across handsets, tables and services.?

Empowering mobile enterprise workers
With such a close call between the top three vote-getters, it is clear that that there is a balanced emphasis between empowering the mobile enterprise workers and engaging external constituents.

Sixty percent of respondents said that improved data networks will help drive adoption of mobile computing, followed by touch displays (18 percent), improved battery life (17 percent) and voice-activated commands (5 percent).

The addition of 4G networks to carrier portfolios promises to bring exciting new data capabilities to users, while allowing carriers to maintain voice coverage and quality.

When asked if a tablet device similar to the iPad was available using Google?s Android operating system software, 60 percent of respondents said they would buy it.

Only 7 percent said no, while 33 percent were not sure. 

The response from CTIA delegates, likely early adopters and advocates, differs greatly from the general public.

?Mobile CRM enables retailers to engage with their customers using the mobile channel throughout the entire customer lifecycle, from acquisition to purchase to post purchase support to repeat business,? Mr. Dudley said. ?By taking advantage of the mobile channel, retailers are able to manage their relationships with customers and gain new customers through innovative, campaigns on their mobile phones. 

?Furthermore, the mobile channel must address, not only the smartphone segment through advanced applications and capabilities, but also the larger segment of available devices, which are best reached through the mobile messaging channel,? he said.

Dan Butcher reported for this story