07/05/2009

More than 700 million mobile business connections will be in operation by 2014, analysts suggest.

This is an increase of 60 per cent from the current number of connections in use, the report from Juniper Researchnotes.

The study adds that 80 per cent of mobile devices for businesses will be working through 3.5/3.9G networks by that time.

More than 70 per cent of these devices will be handsets, but gradually plug-in modems (dongles) for PCs and next-generation notebooks will enter the market and increase in popularity.

Andrew Kitson, the author of the report, said: 'By the end of 2009, portables will account for around 60 per cent of annual PC sales, suggesting that businesses are placing less emphasis on desktop machines and investing on combined laptop-and-phone packages for employees.'

He added: 'As 3G networks proliferate, so it will become more cost-effective to replicate the desktop solution with a wireless device.'