Big boys to warm to fixed-mobile convergence

Over the next five years, fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) will begin to get a foothold in large enterprises, analysts have predicted.

A report from the Yankee Group predicts that over the next 18 to 24 months, FMC – which often takes the form of a single handset acting as a mobile or fixed handset as and when appropriate – will be bolstered by supply and demand side factors coming together to drive adoption.

According to Yankee senior analyst Nicholas McQuire, there's little demand for FMC services among enterprises because many of them are uninformed about the technology.

He said: "Demand will rapidly grow as awareness of FMC's benefits reach enterprise decision-makers such as a reduction in and greater control of mobile costs, enhanced productivity and greater mobility."

So far, efforts around FMC have been targeting consumer users - such as BT's Fusion, formerly known as Project Bluephone.

A recent report by research company Analysys predicts there will be 20 million individual residential subscribers to FMC services by 2010, with France, Germany and the UK likely to be strong adopters of the technology.