Description

Increasingly demanding employees and customers are driving U.S. and Canadian businesses to deploy mobile software solutions to their workforce. North American wireless carriers have acted as a major distribution channel for these applications over the past decade, but do they still play a key role? This study examines carrier strategies and growth opportunities in the mobile worker apps market. Mobile worker applications are software solutions that allow remote and mobile employees real-time access to and exchange of business information, collaboration, and/or guidance via their smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. These solutions are also called "mobile B2E or business-to-employee apps." Major market trends, current carrier portfolios and strategies, and potential growth opportunities are defined and discussed. 2018 survey results regarding North American business preferences, plans and demand for mobile worker apps and wireless carrier partners are also charted and analyzed.

North American wireless carriers can harvest substantial benefits from acting as a channel for mobile worker software applications. The mobile worker apps conversation can start sales discussions around the carriers' core and adjacent services. These apps can also help to position the carrier as a technology leader. However, while mobile worker app deployments are on a strong growth trajectory in the U.S. and Canada, challenges for carriers persist, including assembling and maintaining an optimized portfolio and differentiating against a growing collection of other potential providers. For carriers that can address these challenges, a number of growth opportunities exist to take a leadership role and attract attention in the small and mid-sized business sector.

No matter what challenges are faced, carriers that are not participating in the mobile worker apps sector are likely squandering the opportunity to make more money, reduce customer churn, and burnish their technology credentials.