Let's Talk Wireless Business
by Chris Neiger
On Wednesday CTIA, a trade group for the wireless industry, released an updated report on the future impact of wireless technology on businesses. Sparing you the technical details, it basically said that wireless technologies are going to have a more substantial impact on our businesses and economy than previously thought. For example, they mentioned that the city of San Diego will be saving over a $1 million in taxpayer revenue each year by switching to a new wireless dispatch service.
For anyone owning, or even working for, a small business these findings could spur on some practical money and time saving options. The study found that by using the wireless broadband services, the productivity gains will amount to $860 billion in additional gross domestic product in the next 10 years, which was higher than the $600 billion estimated in their previous report in 2005.
The report also mentioned Best Buy as one business that has already reaped the benefits of updating their work force with new wireless technologies in order to improve productivity. Their goal was to increase the number of home visits by 1.5 more per day to customers who needed their famous Geek Squad techies. To do this, they armed each nerd computer specialist with a Windows Mobile 5.0 enabled smartphone. After deploying the new technologies in only 60 days, Best Buy not only met their increased home visits by 1.5 per day, but the Squad also uses the new technology to search for the lowest gas prices in the area to fill up their vehicles as well... no joke.
So the next time I'm watching the NBA playoffs and see another annoying BlackBerry commercial reminding me I can search Yahoo! and update my Facebook page in the palm of my hand, I'll try to think of all the billions of dollars that are potentially going into our economy because a few businesses saw the same commercial and had a great idea. Come to think of it, maybe I should use my IRS stimulus check to buy a smartphone; that way I can boost the economy twice over...