Businesses wary of Wap, says survey

Up to 71 per cent of businesses are unlikely to use Wap technology in the near future, according to network and IP intelligence specialist, Rhetorik.

Up to 71 per cent of businesses are unlikely to use Wap technology in the near future, according to network and IP intelligence specialist, Rhetorik.

The vendor claims that suppliers need to believe that Wap is more than a consumer toy and has significant business applications.

Its findings showed that only 15 per cent of businesses surveyed had already implemented Wap, and that only 14 per cent plan to do so in the near future.

More importantly, 42 per cent did not think their companies would use the technology, and 29 per cent did not know either way.

Claire Cook, research manager at Rhetorik, said: "We have carried out the research because many of our clients are currently looking at Wap technology. We tried to see what IT directors thought about its business applications and our findings showed there is little information about the technology in the business environment."

She believes there is a serious lack of understanding about how Wap can be used in business, and that the IT skills shortage is also a hurdle for the technology to overcome.

"The skills shortage means firms are struggling to implement ebusiness strategies, let alone a [mobile] business one. Wap clearly has very good business applications, but service providers and vendors are not getting the message across," she said.

Cook stressed that vendors must clearly present the benefits to IT directors and managers as well as non-IT managers, and help them to see how it could fit into their strategies.

First published in Computer Reseller News