'WAP Phones losing to PDA's; Businesses must focus on LAN Integration'
(24th November, 2000 )

Sydney: Over 100,000 Palm pilots are currently in use in Australia, with 20 per cent utilising AvantGo operating software compared to 40,000 WAP enabled phones, according to APT Strategies who presented at the Mobilise Your Business forum in Sydney and Melbourne this week. APT Strategies predicts that with current registrations of AvantGo exceeding 2,000 per month and rapidly increasing, WAP phones risk becoming the No. 2 mobile wireless device.

Findings from APT Strategies’ 'Profitable Wireless Strategies' research finds that WAP enabled mobile telephone devices are suffering from a lack of uptake due to the high percentage of Australian Internet users already having multiple points of fixed internet access.

According to Marc Phillips of APT Strategies, "Businesses must be aware that when WAP was introduced in Australia, more than twenty per cent of households had Internet access. At the moment, there is no compelling requirement for most consumers to purchase a WAP phone as they are usually only twenty to thirty minutes away from Internet access. Consumer business models reliant on WAP must recognise that experience in Europe has shown that the largest group accessing WAP are teenagers who are asset poor and time rich."

APT Strategies 'Profitable Wireless Strategies' research recommends that businesses should deploy multiple wireless software solutions and understand that the Portable Digital Assistant is the emerging device leader in the corporate mobile wireless market.

Australia’s timed mobile payment system bills wireless Internet users in 30-second increments ensuring there is no fixed price access to content. This has been a large inhibitor to WAP adoption, leading to the portable digital assistants such as the Palm Pilot and Pocket PC winning market share in the corporate sector.

"The Mobile Local Area Network (M-LAN) is the most profitable area of the wireless industry for application developers and solutions providers as corporations can achieve immediate cost efficiencies from integrating their back end systems to the field force" said Paul Koffler, Chief analyst of APT Strategies.

APT Strategies is currently providing clients with ‘Profitable Wireless Strategies’ subscription research and further details about the report can be found at http://www.aptstrategies.com.au

About APT Strategies Pty. Ltd.
APT Strategies is one of Australia’s first online research firms established in 1994. APT Strategies provides clients with next generation online intelligence accelerator services whereby analysts engage in consultation, deliver best practice research reports and create business opportunities for clients within our network of over 10,000 businesses throughout the world. APT Strategies delivers innovative yet practical business analysis and planning to focus clients on profiting from current and future technology business models.