Greg
p.s Awesome numbers.
http://www.idc.com/Data/Networking/content/NT080399PR.htm
Working Outside the Office Spurs Demand for Remote and Mobile IT
Products, IDC Says
U.S. Remote and Mobile Workforce to Approach 36 Million in 1999
FRAMINGHAM, Mass., August 3, 1999 - The U.S. remote and mobile population represents a potential gold mine for
IT vendors.
According to market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC), this segment will jump from 35.7
million remote and mobile
users in 1999 to 47.1 million by 2003.
"U.S. corporations are investing IT dollars in building an infrastructure that supports a growing remote and
mobile workforce because
companies that leverage remote and mobile technologies have an advantage over others and can reduce their rate
of attrition," said Stephen
Drake, senior analyst with IDC's Remote Intranet Software research program. "As a result, the corporate
culture is changing, and many
companies are instituting optional or mandatory telecommuting for their employees."
Several technology enhancements are driving the increasing acceptance of worker mobility, including
improvements in notebook
technology, the emergence of smart handheld devices, and expanded use of virtual private networks (VPNs) and
high-speed Internet access
for faster throughput and always-on connections. For those who travel and those who work at home, advanced
technology is especially
important.
"In combination, these technologies can make remote and mobile users more productive and efficient at home or
on the road than they are
in the office," said Randy Giusto, director of Mobile and Display research at IDC. "However, this productivity
is dependent upon access
to easy-to-use and stable applications and technologies, along with help-desk support from the corporate
office or other providers."
"Smart handheld devices are emerging from the realm of individual purchases to enterprise deployment as
products become perceived as
key business tools for connectivity to the corporate environment," said Diana Hwang, research manager of IDC's
smart handheld devices
research program. "Development of handheld applications and wireless technology tailored for the enterprise
represent just a few of the
many drivers that will spur on market growth and increase the remote and mobile worker population."
IDC recently published Where's the Office? U.S. Remote and Mobile Worker Market Review and Forecast (IDC
#B19692). This bulletin
defines the different remote and mobile populations, looks at factors driving and inhibiting remote and mobile
user growth, including home
working, and forecasts the remote and mobile user populations through 2003. The overall market and forecasts
are split into the
telecommuter, mobile data collector, mobile professional, and work extender segments. A forecast is also
provided for the overall U.S.
workforce population, and IDC examines the potential of more workers becoming mobile. For more information or
to purchase this
bulletin, please contact Sue Beauregard at 508-935-4774 or at sbeauregard@idc.com.