CTIA: Energy, envy and the enterprise

NEW ORLEANS--It's been heartening over the past few days spent at the Cellular Telecommunications and Industry Association's Wireless 2003 show that despite economic conditions and the state of the industry, the wireless sector hasn't lost its focus on forthcoming technology and strategic initiatives and what has to be done to make sure it gets there. This is still a big, busy, vibrant and important show. And several exhibitors I've talked to noted that although wireless carriers may not have sent as many people to the event this year, the quality of the leads being generated has been better than in the past--which means the carriers sent the right people, for the right reasons.

It also appears the wireless carriers are fighting back against all the criticism that's been heaped on them about their inability to effectively sell their services into the enterprise market. Getting and keeping the high-end, high-usage customers on their networks has long been a focus (I've heard the expression "Nextel Envy" from a few different people here), but now that next-generation mobile data technologies are becoming more commercially viable, carriers are speaking more confidently about the enterprise market.

The biggest data announcement of the CTIA show was Verizon Wireless' plan to launch of CDMA2000 1xEV-DO technology in San Diego and Washington, D.C.--technology that's squarely focused on a market of mobile professionals. Like AT&T Wireless, Verizon will also link with 802.11 hot spot operator Wayport to offer Wi-Fi wireless LAN service as a complement--yet another sign that wireless carriers are keeping a toe in the Wi-Fi waters while they figure out exactly how the technology best integrates into their overall enterprise data play.

The next phase of the wireless enterprise campaign must be educational, which is what many players involved in the Verizon Wireless launch are talking about this week: how they will go about teaching IT organizations and corporate CIOs that they should trust that wireless data technologies like EV-DO can mobilize their enterprises, and why it's a reliable and economical technology decision to make. Their success in doing that will be the true test of whether wireless carriers have achieved new heights in their enterprise efforts.

Contact me at jmeyers@primediabusiness.com.