4G World to Examine Divide Between Mobile Operators and Enterprise IT Customers

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- 4G World 2012, the only conference and expo covering the entire ecosystem of next-generation 4G mobile broadband technologies, will highlight the results of two surveys of mobile operators and enterprise IT execs conducted by Heavy Reading and InformationWeek. The findings expose some dramatic perceptual differences between the two groups on core issues such as data caps and quality of mobile services. The annual 4G World Conference is being held today through November 1, 2012, at McCormick Place in Chicago. For more information or to register please visit http://www.4gworld.com/chicago/.

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Citing the findings in a recent blog post, Joe Braue, Executive Vice President/Group Director, Light Reading Communications Network and General Manager, 4G World, noted that, "70 per cent of those mobile operators surveyed have either already implemented data caps or are planning to in the next 12 months, and half said they were doing so to protect margins. IT folks had a different view; 57 per cent had a negative view of data caps and half said mobile data prices were too high."

Why are IT execs taking issue with carrier policies? "The current study bears out a common frustration: just as the mobile web has become the number one priority for enterprises, the carriers are invoking policies that will throttle that growth," says Eric Lundquist, Vice President, Editorial of InformationWeek. "CIOs and the CFOs with whom they build budgets want the assurance of a fixed monthly cost that won't rise and fall due to the vagaries in data usage among their employees."

Additional results of the surveys, which were conducted in October with results from 60 mobile operators and 230 business technology professionals, will be discussed at several sessions during 4G World. For example, Lundquist will examine the issue with his panel on Thursday in a session entitled "IT Executive Forum, Enterprise Mobility and Security" with Brett Goldstein, CIO for the City of Chicago, and Francis Rabuck, former CTO of Towers Perrin. Berge Ayvazian, Heavy Reading Senior 4G Consultant and 4G World Conference Chair will also focus on the survey results during his keynote presentations and other conference sessions at the show.

On the topic of whether carrier services meet business customers' service needs, 75 per cent of operator respondents said their enterprise mobile services were "okay" or "better" (with 34 per cent saying their business services were "great"). Not so, according to the InformationWeek survey, as only 10 per cent of IT execs said their service provider met their needs very well, while 88 per cent said that improvements are needed.  This dichotomy should provide a good basis for the debate in the IT Executive Forum. 

Other survey results will be discussed during the device strategy sessions at 4G World, including who is winning the mobile operating systems wars – Android versus Apple iOS – and whether enterprise will drive the expected adoption of the new Windows 8 mobile operating system.

The Conference will also bring together top enterprise IT executives and mobile operators during Enterprise Thursday to discuss how companies are optimizing the latest 4G technologies and applications for profit. Enterprise Thursday will take place on the last day of the annual 4G World Conference – November 1, 2012.

4G World is the only conference this fall where enterprises and operators will meet to discuss the state of the art of the mobile enterprise marketplace. For more information or to register, please visit http://www.4gworld.com/chicago/

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About 4G World

4G World is the first and only conference and expo covering the entire ecosystem of next-generation 4G technologies that enable the mobile Internet revolution, including mobile network infrastructure, advanced devices, applications and content. Owned and operated by UBM TechWeb, this show provides insight into the state of the industry today and explores forward-looking advancements that will affect operators within the mobile ecosystem in the years ahead. As a ubiquitous network takes hold in the mature markets of North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, operators are anticipating massive growth in broadband data usage and planning their network migration strategies and business models for monetizing mobile Internet services. 4G World offers attendees an opportunity to research state-of-the-practice business models and advanced mobile technologies, and learn from other operators about what works and what doesn't, as they migrate their networks to 4G. For more information, visit www.4GWorld.com.

About UBM TechWeb

UBM TechWeb the global leader in technology media and professional information, enables people and organizations to harness the transformative power of technology. Through its three core businesses – media solutions, marketing services and paid content – UBM TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed brands and media applications in the technology market. More than 14.5 million business and technology professionals (CIOs and IT managers, Web & Digital professionals, Software Developers, Government decision makers, and Telecom providers) actively engage in UBM TechWeb's communities and information resources monthly. UBM TechWeb brands include: global face-to-face events such as Interop, Cloud Connect, Black Hat and Enterprise Connect; award-winning online resources such as InformationWeek, Light Reading, and Network Computing; and market-leading magazines InformationWeek, Wall Street & Technology, and Advanced Trading. UBM TechWeb is a part of UBM plc, one of the world's largest media businesses as a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion.

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