The proliferation of smartphones will continue in most US businesses, particularly in the Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) market where an increase of more than of 44% is expected, a report said.
A report from In-Stat also said the category of smartphones generally comprises higher-end cell phones that run a smartphone OS such as Android, iOS, BlackBerry OS, WebOS, or Symbian.
The phones are intended to be used with a data plan and provide Internet-based functionality such as Internet browsing, email, and smartphone applications.
“The SOHO market includes all firms with 1 to 4 US employees, and these businesses are realizing the benefits of having data access in their wireless handsets,” said Greg Potter, analyst at In-Stat. “Employees can now work efficiently either on the road or at home, with access to email and other business applications from their smartphones. This creates a more connected and engaged workforce.”
The report further said non-smartphone unit purchases are set to decline 32% from 2010 to 2015. Over 27 million smartphones will be sold to businesses in the US in 2015 and enterprises will purchase over 19 million phones in 2015.
The healthcare and social services vertical will grow from 3.9 million phones purchased to 4.5 million for the reporting period.