'Empowering Mobile Networks, Applications and Services'

iKnowWare, a leading provider of mobile business applications to more than 2,000 small businesses across the country participated in a panel discussion at the 4G World Conference in Chicago's McCormick Place in October 2010. Joining iKnowWare were hardware manufacturers and carriers Samsung, AT&T and Cisco. The Future Of The Mobile Web panel was sponsored by Forbes Magazine and looked at innovative enterprise applications and cloud computing as a catalyst for business growth.

A massive transformation is under way for the mobile Internet, bringing profound changes to both the enterprise and the consumer. Businesses need to consider how to turn this shift in communications and technology into a competitive-and profitable- proposition.

Yankee Group estimates that the global consumer mobile Internet services market has an untapped potential of $55 billion. Mark Spilotro, CEO of iKnowWare, highlighted how innovation can help small businesses grow, compete and create jobs. He spoke specifically on how integrated communications and mobile Internet solutions can enable innovation among small businesses, specifically around mobile technology, web marketing and cloud-based solutions. He also described how channel partners offer "big business" solutions to the small business customer at a price they can afford, enabling productivity gains, growth and innovation.

As small businesses continue to invest in tools to grow, they are turning to cloud-based services, mobile solutions and web marketing. iKnowWare provides business management applications in the cloud. Supporting mobile workers is essential for small businesses today, and the iKnowWare platform is empowering a wide range of businesses to get more from powerful handsets made by Samsung, HTC, Nokia, Apple, and Blackberry. Small businesses are also increasing their use of the web for marketing their products and services. The campaign marketing services built into iKnowWare, and our industry specific solutions, help businesses build and promote brands, and get found on the web by their target customers and prospects.

Yankee Group forecasts that by 2015, global operator revenues from mobile Internet services will be $66 billion, not including revenues generated by content providers, device manufacturers, chip makers and other members of the mobile Internet ecosystem. Panel member Ash Dahod, Cisco Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Mobile Internet Technology Group, said "Data usage is exploding. As a result, we are starting to see a variety of sophisticated mobile devices capable of delivering a compelling multimedia experience over a wider array of broadband networks."

Dahod added, "The mobile Internet is growing at a much faster rate than the fixed Internet and will become the dominant form by which most people will connect at broadband speeds. Within 12 to 18 months, it is estimated that there will be more smartphones than PCs in the world." Consumer habits helped bring smart phones into businesses and how they use the Internet will have even greater implications for business in the future.