Smartphones Shows Signs of RecoverySmartphones Shows Signs of Recovery

After struggling most of the year, smartphones ended 2009 with robust growth, according to market research firm ABI Research. While sales of the devices had shown minimal growth through the first nine months, they jumped by 25 in the fourth quarter, so small and medium businesses need to get ready to effectively manage these devices.Lower pricing and the introduction of entry-level smartphones helped spur sales, which grew only four percent in the third quarter of 2009. ABI Research thought that the fourth quarter increase could carry over through 2010 and end the malaise that has recently gripped the cell phone market.

Apples iPhone continued its rapid ascent: sales increased about 500% year-over-year from 2008 to 2009. The company had success gaining traction outside of the US, mainly in Europe and Asia. Nokia was rewarded for aggressively cutting pricing and upping its market efforts. The company sold 21 million smartphones, well up from its typical 15 million range. Research in Motion also fared well  even outselling the iPhone in some marketplaces.

While smartphones can improve productivity, they present challenges to small and medium businesses. These devices are difficult to monitor because employees often start using them without input or approval from the IT department. In addition, they can easily be lost. When that happens, companies not only have to replace the phones but also they have to make sure that any company data stored on the devices is protected from intrusion. With the sales of these devices seemingly picking up, small and medium businesses need to make sure that they are ready to address such potential problems.