Europe : Enterprise interest in Smartphone adoption has rebounded sharply with almost half of all IT managers saying they would consider deploying them as business tools, according to an annual survey conducted for Intuwave, the mobile software specialist.

Inset shows one of the new breed of 3G Smartphones - the Nokia 6680. More

While this growing enthusiasm is accompanied by a pragmatic approach to the technology, Intuwave believes that perceived barriers to deployment will be solved this year making 2005 a pivotal year for enterprise adoption of Smartphones.

47% of enterprise IT Managers said that they would consider deploying Smartphones: this is a sharp increase over the 33% of last year and demonstrates the growing confidence in Smartphones as business productivity tools. Also, while 38% of this year's respondents were uncertain about Smartphone deployment, only a small minority rejected the idea outright.

Steve Swatman, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Intuwave commented, "The surge of interest in Enterprise deployment of Smartphones is a huge boost to the mobile industry, especially following previous doubts that the devices weren't yet ready for primetime. The emergence of truly enterprise-class devices such as the Nokia 9500, full commercial roll-outs of 3G networks and growing economies of scale from mass-market adoption of Smartphones all contribute to business acceptance of Smartphones. As a result, we believe that 2005 really will be the year of the Smartphone."

When asked what factors would prevent deployment of Smartphones in their organisation, 43% cited lack of 3G networks as a significant concern in 2005, rising from 20% in 2004, and 50% saw the cost of devices as a highly significant barrier to deployment in 2005, doubling since 2004.

"The enterprise customer's perception is lagging behind reality. 3G networks are rolled out yet some people worry about their availability. Devices get more affordable yet concerns about cost persist. This is all about education: as Smartphone deployments grow, so do the perceived risks of using them. We - as an industry - need to help enterprise customers see the Smartphone is a viable platform for mobilising business applications if we are to capitalise on the clear market demand for Smartphone-based solutions."

Overall, the majority of IT managers recognise the Smartphone as a valuable multi-functional tool for many business users, and growth in user demand will accelerate this enterprise adoption.

The survey was conducted on behalf of Intuwave by independent research specialist Vanson Bourne who surveyed 100 Enterprise IT Managers in January 2005.

About Intuwave - Making Smartphones Make Sense

Intuwave is a Smartphone platform specialist with a single vision - to help Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and System Integrators (SIs) create real value for end-users from the mass deployment of Smartphones. It is helping partners to create new applications - or extend existing ones - for the fast-growing Smartphone market and to connect mobile devices to the resources of the Enterprise and wired internet. Customers include, Symbian, Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, Sanyo, Sendo, Apple, Lotus Software, Teleca and BVRP.

Intuwave's deep knowledge of Smartphone Operating Systems such as Symbian, Microsoft and Linux is captured in its innovative core products and masks the complexity of the mobile environment. This speeds time to market for ISVs and SIs wishing to exploit the Smartphone opportunity while reducing the costs of doing so. Its core products are m Network®, a Smartphone Integration Engine, and m Router™, the only IP-based solution that connects and routes mobile devices, including Smartphones, through a PC. These address the wireless usage model, overcome the limitations of the mobile environment and leverage the unique capabilities of the Smartphone. www.intuwave.com.