The Mobile SMB and Wi-Fi

Penetration, Market Sizing, Forecasts, and Segmentation

SMBs (small-medium businesses) are surprisingly mobile and will provide major revenue opportunities for smartphone, WLAN equipment and laptop manufacturers as well as managed service providers, through 2014. The next five years will see a concerted effort by vendors to capture this market by developing customized SMB product and services solutions.

This study is the first to segment the global SMB market by employee size while also providing vertical market segmentation and actionable suggestions on how to attack specific segments of this market. It examines which SMB market segments are most likely to grow the fastest in specific regions of the world and offers channel-specific advice. The report leverages two key primary research surveys which ABI conducted, as well as interviews with leading vendors.

What Questions Does This Report Answer?

  • Which US SMB vertical market segments are likely to provide the greatest revenue opportunities?
  • Which SMB market segments globally are growing the fastest?
  • What innovative approaches are vendors taking to reach the SMBs in India?
  • What types of features do SMBs prefer?
  • What types of managed services do SMBs want?
  • How do US and EU SMB market segmentations differ?
  • How many mobile SMBs are there and where are they concentrated?
  • Just how mobile are SMB employees?
  • Where do mobile SMB employees work?
  • How will the wireless LAN market among SMBs grow during the next five years?
  • How large a portion of the total laptop market do SMBs represent? How will it change over the next five years?
  • Which managed services are likely to be the most attractive to SMBs?
  • What aspects of security do concern SMBs?
  • What is the Wi-Fi penetration in each major region of the world? How will these penetration rates change during the period 2007-2014?

Who Needs This Report?

  • WLAN equipment product managers
  • Mobile operators
  • Managed service providers
  • VPs of Marketing for packaged security software companies
  • Laptop product managers
  • VPs of marketing for wireless LAN equipment companies
  • Chipmakers
  • SMB channel managers
  • Handset manufacturers
  • Wi-Fi product VPs of Marketing who need SMB market segmentation

Table of Contents


Section 1.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.1. SMB Definition
1.2. SMB Demographics
1.3. SMB Profile
1.4. The Mobile SMB
1.5. Major Trends for Mobile SMBs
1.6. Managed Mobile Security Service
1.7. Global WLAN SMB Opportunities
1.8. Interoperability Issues
1.9. Security Issues
1.10. SMB Channel Choices
1.11. SMB Technology Adoption
1.12. SMB Impact on the Laptop Industry
1.13. Mobile SMB Revenue Projections

Section 2.
MARKET ISSUES
2.1. Defining a Key Global Market Segment
2.1.1. SMB Definition
2.1.2. SME Definition
2.2. Sizing the SMB Market
2.2.1. The SMB Market in the United States
2.2.2. The Global SMB Market
2.3. Assessing the Most Attractive SMB Markets for Wi-Fi Products
2.3.1. The North American WLAN SMB Market Opportunity
2.3.2. The European WLAN SMB Market Opportunity
2.3.3. The Asia-Pacific WLAN SMB Market Opportunity
2.3.4. The Latin American WLAN SMB Market Opportunity
2.3.5. The Rest of World WLAN SMB Market Opportunity
2.4. SMB Mobile Employees
2.5. SMB Revenue Potential
2.6. SMB Characteristics
2.6.1. SMB Employees Worry about OPEX, Not CAPEX
2.6.2. SMB Employees Are “Jacks of Many Trades” & Not Technology Experts
2.6.3. SMB Employees Have More Direct Involvement in Technology Provider Decisions
2.6.4. SMB Employees Have Less Awareness & Concern about Mobile Security
2.6.5. SMBs Want SMB-Targeted Mobility Products at SMB Prices
2.6.6. SMB Employees Are Out of Their Offices Significant Amounts of Time
2.6.7. SMB Employees Utilize Work Tools for Personal Tasks
2.6.8. SMBs Focus on Ease-of-Use
2.7. Managed Services for the Mobile SMB
2.8. Why SMBs Are Good Candidates for Managed Mobile Security Services
2.9. Managed Mobile Device Security Services
2.9.1. Today’s Managed Mobile Device Security Services Market
2.9.2. New Applications Will Create the Need for New Services
2.9.2.1. Cisco’s Possible Entry
2.10. WLAN Equipment Vendors Target Mobile SMBs
2.11. Mobile SMBs & Their Smartphones
2.12. The Mobile SMB’s Impact on the Laptop Market
2.13. Looking Forward: Major Trends for Mobile SMBs

Section 3.
TECHNOLOGY ISSUES
3.1. Interoperability Issues for Mobile SMBs
3.2. Security Issues for Mobile SMBs
3.2.1. WLAN Security
3.2.2. Handset Security
3.3. The Right Technology Mix for SMB Laptops
3.4. Mobile SMB Employees’ Applications on Their Mobile Phones
3.5. Mobile SMB Workers & Home Use
3.6. Mobility Technology Rate of Adoption by SMBs

Section 4.
KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS
4.1. Chipmakers
4.1.1. Intel
4.2. Laptop Manufacturers
4.2.1. Dell
4.2.2. Lenovo
4.3. WLAN Equipment Vendors
4.3.1. 3Com
4.3.2. Cisco
4.3.3. D-Link
4.3.4. Hewlett-Packard
4.3.5. Netgear
4.3.6. SMC Networks
4.4. Mobile Operators & Service Providers
4.4.1. AT&T
4.4.2. British Telecom
4.4.3. iPass
4.4.4. T-Mobile
4.4.5. Verizon
4.5. Smartphone Manufacturers
4.5.1. Nokia
4.5.2. Research in Motion
4.6. Security Vendors
4.6.1. AirMagnet
4.6.2. F-Secure
4.6.3. McAfee
4.6.4. Symantec
4.6.5. Trend Micro

Section 5.
MARKET FORECASTS AND ANALYSIS
5.1. The Size of the US SMB Market
5.2. Wi-Fi Penetration in the US SMB Market
5.3. SMB Global Establishments
5.4. Global Mobile Employees
5.5. SMB Wi-Fi Access Point Shipments
5.6. SMB Wi-Fi Access Point Revenue
5.7. SMBs’ Impact on Laptop Shipments
5.8. SMB Managed Mobile Device Service Revenue

Section 6.
RELATED RESEARCH

Section 7.
COMPANY LIST

Section 8.
ACRONYMS
SCOPE OF STUDY
SOURCES AND METHODOLOGY
NOTES



Tables
  • Total Available Business Market by Company Size, North America, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • SMB Establishments by Business Size, Europe, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • SMB Mobile Employees by Region, Asia-Pacific, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • Total Available Business Market by Company Size, Latin America, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • Total Available Business Market by Company Size, Rest of World, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • Wi-Fi Penetration by Size of Business, North America, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • SMB Wi-Fi Penetration by Vertical Market Segment, United States
  • Wi-Fi Penetration by Size of Business, Europe, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • Wi-Fi Penetration by Size of Business, Asia-Pacific, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • Wi-Fi Penetration by Size of Business, Latin America, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • Wi-Fi Penetration by Size of Business, Rest of World, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • SMB Establishments by Vertical, United States
  • Wi-Fi SMB Establishments by Vertical, World Market, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • SMB Establishments by Business Size, World Market, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • SMB Establishments by Business Size, United States
  • SMB Mobile Employees by Region, United States
  • SMB Establishments by Business Size, World Market, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • SMB Mobile Employees by Region, World Market, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • SMB Wi-Fi Access Point Shipments by Company Size, World Market, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • SMB Wi-Fi Access Point Revenue by Company Size, World Market, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • SMB Laptop Shipments, World Market, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • SMB Managed Mobile Device Revenue by Region, World Market, Forecast: 2007 to 2014

Charts
  • The Global SMB Market, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • Mobile Employees by Company Size, World Market, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • Did your company issue/provide you with a mobile phone or did you buy it yourself?
  • Is administering the WLAN the LAN administrator's sole job?
  • Are you involved in the selection of the mobile service provider you use for business?
  • Respondents' Concern about Wi-Fi Security by Number of Employees at Respondents' Sites
  • In a typical week, in which of the following types of locations do you work?
  • How many mobile phones do you use on a regular basis?
  • Channel Where Respondents Purchased WLAN Equipment
  • Applications Running on Mobile Phones by Company Size
  • Timeframe for Respondents' Upgrade to IEEE 802.11n
  • SMB Establishments by Business Size, World Market, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • SMB Mobile Employees by Region, World Market, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • SMB Wi-Fi Access Point Shipments by Company Size, World Market, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • SMB Wi-Fi Access Point Revenue by Company Size, World Market, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • SMB Laptop Shipments, World Market, Forecast: 2007 to 2014
  • SMB Managed Mobile Device Revenue by Region, World Market, Forecast: 2007 to 2014