Asia Mobile Tech: High-Speed Evolution

Read up on 11 trends that will shape 2007's market for GPS, wireless Internet applications, and more

by Farihan Bahrin

What does 2007 have in store for the mobile workforce?

The new year is barely two weeks old but for the vendors and technology pushers in the mobile world, it is back to business as usual.

ZDNet Asia takes a look at some of the mobile trends--plus their impact and challenges--that are likely to surface in 2007.

1. More enterprises to start adopting mobility

As the population of mobile workers continues to grow in the region, Asia Pacific enterprises will adopt a clearer and long-term strategic approach to the deployment of mobile technologies in 2007, according to Springboard Research.

With mobile and wireless technologies becoming more pervasive with the launch of more high-speed wireless and cellular networks, it will become increasingly difficult for organizations to keep mobility out of their IT strategies. But, given the personal nature of mobility, most organizations will have a tough time managing it in their current IT environment, where they will find it tough to control the ever-changing behavior of mobile users.

2. Mobile GPS market to grow

According to a recent report by research company Strategy Analytics, some 16 million smartphones with GPS (global positioning system) capabilities will be shipped worldwide in 2010. The analyst house also predicts that satellite-navigation companies--faced with a growing market offering low-cost, basic map-based products--will be forced to dream up new innovative services to stay competitive. According to a separate report by Gartner, 60 percent of the worldwide cellular population will be "trackable" via location-based services by 2010.

3. More Internet-based apps to move into mobiles

With nearly 4 billion cell phone users expected worldwide by the end of 2010, the likes of Yahoo and Google are aggressively pursuing more consumers in the mobile market by introducing applications tweaked for the smaller, mobile screen, including search and location-based services.

4. Fixed-mobile convergence starts to gain traction

In Singapore, wireless service provider SingTel fired the first salvo after it announced mio, a service that brings together fixed and mobile technology to consumers.

Analyst firm IDC predicts that more telecom network operators will begin initial deployments of fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) services in 2007. Technologies such as mesh networking, peer-to-peer computing, software-defined radio equipment, USB-based HSDPA (high-speed downlink packet access) modems, and IPv6 (IP version 6) upgrades to Internet equipment have helped push the capability and desirability of FMC services and networks.

5. Mobile-mobile convergence to follow suit

Handsets that support multiple radio technologies (also known as dual-mode handsets) are already here, but industry experts expect such devices to made good on their potential in 2007. Companies such as Nokia and Sony Ericsson, have begun experimenting with devices that can switch between cellular and IP-based voice connectivity, and this year will likely see more products being launched.

6. Singapore's hits-and-misses with wireless

Part of the island-state's plan to spread free wireless access to its citizens has already come to fruition with the launch of the iN2015 initiative. Falling 3G broadband prices will likely spur adoption among businesses. However, research company Ovum noted that next-generation wireless technologies such as WiMax, will remain niche technologies in most markets for the next five years--and will not be implemented anytime soon.