Business users: Mobile's great white (collar) hope

Business users could soon find themselves the darlings customers of the mobile world.

According to new research from analyst house IDC, falling voice revenues will see US mobile operators targeting business users – and the traditionally high ARPU (average revenue per user) they generate.

The business user segment is also comparatively less mature than the consumer segment, providing mobile operators with lots of room for growth. IDC predicts that revenues from business users in the US will grow from last year's total of $29bn to $52bn in 2010.

However, as more and more business users sign up for mobile services, price pressure will see operators forced to drop their charges. As a result ARPU growth will stumble – from 19 per cent this year to three per cent in 2010, the analyst predicts.

In particular, IDC believes the cost of voice bundles and data access will be shaved by operators hoping to woo business users.