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| GartnerGroup Launches The Great Wireless Experiment | ||
| GartnerGroup Analyst Cuts Wireline Ties and Goes Completely Wireless | ||
| Stamford, Conn., September 27, 1999-As companies bring to market more advanced wireless technologies, the question remains how productive users can be using wireless products. Gartner Group, Inc. (NYSE: IT) analysts are addressing this issue with the announcement today of The Great Wireless Experiment. For this experiment, Bob Egan, GartnerGroup research director for wireless communications in North America and select GartnerGroup analysts, have put away their wireline-based technologies, and for 30 days all communications (both voice and data) are being conducted exclusively with wireless products. | ||
| Currently, there are more than 300 million mobile phones in use worldwide. By 2005, GartnerGroup estimates there will be 1 billion wireless users. With this increase in wireless users, it is crucial for both vendors and enterprises to understand the pros and cons of going wireless. This experiment will provide a picture of what users are dealing with while trying to use wireless technologies today. | ||
| "The Great Wireless Experiment is designed to take a real world look at the stage of wireless access; what are the strengths, the challenges, and the costs associated with going completely wireless," said Mr. Egan. "We'll uncover opportunities for equipment and service providers. We'll give insight into how enterprises can save money, reduce risk, and make investments in wireless access technologies that are aligned with key business initiatives." | ||
| For this experiment, the wireless technologies being used include laptop computers, wireless modems, personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, and pagers. By using these types of devices concurrently, this research will benefit enterprises that must be prepared for an increasing wireless infrastructure. | ||
| "The easy part for wireless solution providers is to make announcements about expanded capabilities that include wireless access," Mr. Egan said. "The tough part is delivering value to the enterprise and consumers. Another difficulty is the subtle real-world implementations issues that cause frustrations, increase risk, and raise costs to enterprises and consumers." | ||
| New GartnerGroup research shows that through 2003, 35 percent of knowledge workers will rely on a mix of three or more devices (laptop, mobile phone, and PDA) during the business day, driving technical support costs 70 percent higher for them than for knowledge workers who carry two or fewer devices (cell phone and laptop). While it is expensive to go wireless, GartnerGroup analysts said companies need to look at all the issues. | ||
| "Despite the high prices of wireless today, many people and corporations realize that the cost of not using wireless far outweighs the higher costs and network issues," said Mr. Egan. "The significant questions are who should invest in wireless, what technologies and services should they invest in, and how that investment is aligned with an enterprise's business plan." | ||
| Many users are beginning to realize that going wireless creates free time, convenience, and accessibility. "Wireless will have a major impact in how we communicate with each other and how companies become zero latency enterprises," Mr. Egan said. "Observers of this experiment will gain significant tactical strategic value because this real-world example is backed by extensive GartnerGroup research on the wireless industry." | ||
| GartnerGroup has developed a special Web page to monitor The Great Wireless Experiment. On this page, there will be a weekly diary from Mr. Egan that discusses the various activities he's performed with wireless products. These diary entries will highlight some of the positive experiences with the wireless products as well as some of the negative experiences. This site will also be updated with numerous GartnerGroup research findings on the wireless industry. The Great Wireless Experiment Web site can be accessed at http://www.gartner.com/wireless. For more information about GartnerGroup's wireless programs, please call 203-316-1111. | ||
| Mr. Egan will present his outlook for the wireless industry during the upcoming GartnerGroup Symposium/ITxpo 99, October 11-15, at the Disney World complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. GartnerGroup analysts and industry leaders will provide their analysis for the IT industry. More information on the conference and a complete agenda are available on GartnerGroup's Web site at http://www.gartner.com/symposium/static/symponline.html. Members of the media can contact Josh Lefkowitz at 212-696-2000 and at jlefkowitz@tsicomm.com for press registration information. | ||
| As the world's leading authority on IT, GartnerGroup provides clients with a wide range of products and services in the areas of IT advisory services, measurement, research, decision support, analysis, and consulting. Founded in 1979, with headquarters in Stamford, Conn., GartnerGroup is at the center of a global community serving Fortune 1000 clients from 80 locations worldwide. Additional information about the company is available on the Internet at www.gartner.com. | ||
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