June 17, 2005 - 3:02 P.M.
Megatrends in the mobility market
- IT TOPICS:Mobile, Networking
Keep an eye on systems integrators, who aren't big players in the enterprise mobility market now but will be in about three years, says a new report from Forrester Research Inc. The megatrends:
- Many enterprises have mobile deployments today, but they're mostly wireless e-mail. More robust wireless projects will be widespread in 2008.
- Systems integrators built up mobile enterprise practices in 1999-2000, only to disband them due to lack of demand. Now they're hanging back, but they'll emerge again to become the prime contractors for large enterprises with complex projects. (Think Accenture.)
- Expect a rash of consolidations among software vendors, and a secondary role for carriers and handset makers.
Why will systems integrators (SIs) be the winners in the large enterprise market?
While their current offering is not strong today, SIs’ heritage in understanding enterprise business will make them the integrator of choice for complex solutions within three years. Many SIs will follow Accenture’s strategic lead and define mobility to include telematics and RFID as they broaden their enterprise footprints. SIs will offer companies both integration and managed services — providing a single throat to choke.
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