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Mathias On Mobility: 2011 The Same, But Better: Page 2 of 2

And at the end of all those broadband connections will be an increasing array of ever-more-powerful, ever-more competitive subscriber units. Will tablets replace notebook PCs? For many users, they already have. I'm particularly impressed with quality of the browsing experience on modern enterprise-class handsets. Couple this with 4G, and web/cloud services and virtualization will assume key roles in mobile strategies in 2011. Device diversity will be addressed to a great degree by mobile device management solutions and personal-liability policies, and, while definitive solutions are still some ways out, big progress will be seen in the next year.

You might be getting the idea that 2011 will be more about evolution than revolution. That is the case and it's a good thing -- the non-stop evolution of wireless and mobile technologies has given pause to more than a few CFOs, and even a few CIOs, over the years; these folks like stability and predictable ROI. But with a little stability and a clear path to cost-effective solutions now in place, it's time to buy. And IT professionals everywhere will find that the latest crop of products is much easier to integrate and use than has ever been the case in the past. Budgets will be constrained; this is, again, the new normal. But those budget dollars will buy solutions that will really make everyone happy. I've worked in mobility for more than 20 years now, and I've never been more excited than I am about the capabilities that are available today.

SEE ALSO:

Mathias On Mobility: Why IT Should Buy More

Mathias On Mobility: Why Mobile Apps Are Bad

Mathias On Mobility: The Wireless LAN Architecture Question

Mathias On Mobility: Solving The Indoor Wireless Problem

Mathias On Mobility: Spectrum Shortage? Cognitive Radio Is The Answer

Craig Mathias is a Principal with Farpoint Group, a wireless and mobile advisory firm based in Ashland, MA. Craig is an internationally recognized expert on wireless communications and mobile computing technologies. He is a well-known industry analyst and frequent speaker at industry conferences and trade shows.