Analyst firm Frost & Sullivan's '2010 U.S. CxOs' Choice: Mobile Computing Products and Services' has uncovered that, of all core functions surveyed, reliability is most important to C-level users. Features not related to the core function of laptop/notebooks are less important, and CxOs expect the products they use to perform as expected, and are less interested in frills.
The survey also revealed that CxOs view smartphones primarily as business tools, while standard feature phones are considered more for personal use. For both smartphones and standard feature phones, ease-of-use is one of the most important features according to CxOs. Features such as design, multimedia capabilities, and digital cameras are less important in smartphones.
The two requirements of ease-of-use and reliability suggest that the iPhone should be very popular among enterprise users; this is supported by market research firm J.D. Power's surveys of smartphone users which have consistently given the iPhone operating system among the highest scores for reliability and ease of use. However, those perceptions of the brand don't necessarily feed through to ultimate sales, according to the Frost & Sullivan research.
While European execs consider Apple to be a top hardware brand in laptops, they're more likely to actually spend money on no-frills laptops and smartphones. The greatest proportion of executives own Dell hardware instead and, with smartphones it's a similar story. BlackBerry is the most-owned brand of smartphone, ahead of the iPhone, yet Apple is perceived as the better mobile brand in the Frost & Sullivan survey.
I've been writing about technology for nearly 20 years, including editing industry magazines Connect and Communications International. In 2002 I co-founded Futurity Media with Anthony Plewes. My focus in Futurity Media is in emerging technologies, social media and future gazing. As a graduate of philosophy & science, I have studied futurology & foresight to the post-grad level.