Article at a glance:

Profit in wireless B2B

Companies that switch to mobile networks for sales, logistics, and other functions can save close to $80 billion by 2004. On top of that, companies using industry-specific wireless applications (such as remote utility-meter reading) will generate enormous value through new or enhanced services. Meanwhile, mobile-office users—whose numbers are expected to grow nearly tenfold, to 137 million, by 2004—will want on-line access to customer information or company databases, among other business-to-business services. In short, there is big money to be made or saved in wireless business services, but not necessarily in the arenas that look hot today.

The take-away

Wireless services are certain to change the way many companies do business—and those companies will spend billions to buy, install, and integrate wireless systems. The biggest winners in that spending spree will be application software and platform developers, as well as systems integrators.