5. 3.5G in the form of HSDPA
HSDPA is essentially a faster version of 3G, with a theoretical top speed of 1.8Mbps for downloads. It's just starting life in the UK but all of the operators are building out their networks.
For CIOs, the advent of HSDPA will mean a boost in speed that will be noticeable for laptop datacard and smart phone users, making browsing and downloading email faster for remote workers.
Thomas Husson, mobile analyst at JupiterResearch, told silicon.com: "HSDPA is at exactly the same stage 3G was two years ago. The network is ready but there are few handsets and they are not available at different price points and form factors." Husson added he expects HSDPA to follow the same growth curve as GPRS.
JupiterResearch forecasts that 25 per cent of the installed base of phones in Western Europe will be HSDPA-enabled by 2011.
CIOs should be aware of integrated 3G cards sold within laptops -- and whether the card itself will become obsolete before the laptop that houses it. This thinking becomes especially pertinent with the evolution of HSUPA, the speedy uplink version of 3G.
HSUPA will theoretically mean uplink speeds of more than 5Mbps in time, meaning true mobile working is possible -- the network will be able to support uploading epic PowerPoints or sending video to colleagues.
Consequently, within the next two to three years CIOs will be able to promise a better uplink for staff out of the office and make remote working a closer experience to being deskbound.
RATING: 4/5 -- always a need for more speed.
6. Location-based services
Location-based services (LBS) are yet another technology that has been bordering on the big time for some time but failed to take off in the way many had hoped. Many envisioned "find my nearest McDonald's" type services -- yet enterprises have been making much more of LBS.
One of the more obvious examples of LBS on mobiles is fleet tracking and employee management -- using GPS on mobiles to monitor and manage delivery drivers en route, for example, or to check on the locations of a water company's staff to make sure the nearest employee is despatched to fix a leak.
However, pundits believe that few other enterprise applications will enjoy similar success in the near future and even consumer applications could struggle.
Dean Bubley, founder of Disruptive Analysis, told silicon.com that real-time use of location data is very limited. "You can get a certain amount based on cell ID but the main issue is there are not many handsets that have accurate location-based capabilities like GPS. There are some coming to market but they are high-end and they are niche."
While GPS is likely to make its way onto a greater number of handsets, mobile LBS services are likely to be restricted to fleet management and public sector applications in the short to medium term.
One use of location-based services may yet enter CIOs' consciousness before too long: mobile-charging dependent on location. It's an idea some operators are already using for consumers, charging a lower per minute rate when the call takes place in the home.
The operators are hoping to steal more minutes from their fixed-line rivals and stave off the threat from FMC by encouraging consumers to use their mobiles at home. Should the practice find its way to businesses it could mean a lower mobile budget for single site or single campus companies.
RATING: 2/5 -- though a higher rating for certain sectors.
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