Moving Towards Mobile Third Generation Telecommunications Standards: The Good and Bad of the 'Anytime/Anywhere' Solutions

Mobile communication technologies are changing every aspect of the daily life, bringing new opportunities in many areas. Several converging mobile systems can potentially change organizations significantly by shifting the traditional boundaries of work-life and the workplace. Mobile telephony, combining satellite and terrestrial cellular systems, already transformed the way people work by allowing ‘anytime/anywhere’ telephone calling and text messaging. Broadband mobile telephony opens additional avenues to provide information conveniently as quickly and easily as possible, when needed and where needed. The evolution of wireless technologies (from Wireless Personal Area Networks to ubiquitous Third Generation/Universal Mobile Telecommunication System – UMTS) increased the number of services available to business organizations and mobile workers. Machine-to-machine, vertical applications, and mobile office applications are increasingly being deployed. Service providers and mobile operators are also changing the way they operate as a result of the increasing availability of mobile broadband communication services. IT departments need to change their systems, upgrade, and adapt their infrastructure and policies to support these mobile services. These changes are both positive and negative. With this progression, some fundamental questions related to privacy, security, and a new concept of work place and work space are raised. The implications for developing economies, such as China, and their potential for leapfrogging are future attention areas.