Corporate Buyers Now Driving the Expanding Wireless-Mobile Market - Company Business and Marketing

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, Oct 18, 1999

Wireless connectivity in mobile devices is hot -- it delivers work-anywhere efficiency for enterprise professionals. But I.T. managers scrambling to find integrated mobile and wireless solutions have often come up empty handed.

Not any more. World Market Strategies (WMS), a San Francisco based company with offices worldwide, is promoting an entire package of services aimed at bringing customers directly into the mobile and wireless development process and develop their "perfect solution."

True to that end, WMS last week introduced "IT Buyers Roundtable." The roundtable places top buyers and vendors in the same room to work out the details of creating a wireless mobile device which combines the best features of a PDA, PCS phone, pager and Ethernet-connected notebook, all running under Windows CE. "IT Buyers Roundtable" will be held this Nov. 1, in conjunction with the Mobile & PDA Expo and Wireless I.T. shows in Silicon Valley's Santa Clara.

"This is the first time WMS has publicly introduced its buyers to other customers and solution providers prior to purchase contracts being finalized," said Jon Covington, WMS president and founder of the seminar and expo. "These buyers are dictating the future of this new market and are eager to partner with vendors to solve their specific problems and create a new solution set that better meets their needs. At the same time, the traditional wireless communications industry wants to diversify. The paradigm shift is moving voice and data together wirelessly and needs to solve specific problems for the enterprise."

Covington encouraged "anyone interested in buying or providing mobile and wireless data and/or voice solutions" to apply to participate in IT Buyers Roundtable. However, he points out that the forum is open to only a select number of participants, each of whom must sign a non-disclosure agreement due to the the sensitive nature of information shared. Customers come prepared to talk about product specification, quantity, quality and time lines for purchase.

After the roundtable, customers can interact with vendors at the Mobile & PDA Expo. The expo remains the only event to focus on wireless mobile technology for the enterprise end-user buyer. Unlike product-focused tradeshows that usually draw more lookers than buyers, the expo features unique "Mobile University" sessions focused on buyer-vendor interaction. Mobile University sessions feature customer case studies that teach how to buy, cost justifiy, and implement mobile and wireless data technology. Applications include sales and field force automation, customer relationship manangement, and more.

In addition to WMS' forums and seminars, customers are also voicing their opinions on MobileVillage.com, the company's new portal for mobile and wireless data. MobileVillage.com offers customers and vendors discussion groups, online classes and events, news, vendor comparisons, and even access to its advisory board.

For more information about the Mobile & PDA Expo and Mobile University at Wireless I.T. 99, call World Market Strategies at 415/641-2450 or visit the company's new Web site at mobilevillage.com.