10 mobile trends: Should you care?

5. 3.5G in the form of HSDPA

HSDPA is essentially a faster version of 3G, with a theoretical top speed of 1.8Mbps for downloads. It's just starting life in the UK but all of the operators are building out their networks.

For CIOs, the advent of HSDPA will mean a boost in speed that will be noticeable for laptop datacard and smart phone users, making browsing and downloading email faster for remote workers.

Thomas Husson, mobile analyst at JupiterResearch, told silicon.com: "HSDPA is at exactly the same stage 3G was two years ago. The network is ready but there are few handsets and they are not available at different price points and form factors." Husson added he expects HSDPA to follow the same growth curve as GPRS.

Ten mobile trends

1. FMC
2. Salesforce automation
3. VoIP
4. Payments
5. 3.5G - HSDPA
6. Location-based services
7. TV
8. Device management
9. M2M
10. Antivirus

JupiterResearch forecasts that 25 per cent of the installed base of phones in Western Europe will be HSDPA-enabled by 2011.

CIOs should be aware of integrated 3G cards sold within laptops - and whether the card itself will become obsolete before the laptop that houses it. This thinking becomes especially pertinent with the evolution of HSUPA, the speedy uplink version of 3G.

HSUPA will theoretically mean uplink speeds of more than 5Mbps in time, meaning true mobile working is possible - the network will be able to support uploading epic PowerPoints or sending video to colleagues.

Consequently, within the next two to three years CIOs will be able to promise a better uplink for staff out of the office and make remote working a closer experience to being deskbound.

RATING: 4/5 - always a need for more speed.