Network managers to face free PDA support nightmare

Analyst Gartner predicted last week that 70 per cent of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) will be free or subsidised by the end of 2003 - but that managing these devices could give network managers nightmares.

Analyst Gartner predicted last week that 70 per cent of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) will be free or subsidised by the end of 2003 - but that managing these devices could give network managers nightmares.

Ken Dulaney, vice president and research area director for Gartner, said that in the next few years smart phones, PDAs, organisers and mini notebooks, which could well run with differing operating systems and applications, will present serious problems for IS organisations.

"A divergence in mobile form factors will cause a 10 per cent increase in enterprises' mobile end-user operations and technical support costs. IS organisations must constrain the number of mobile platforms they support," said Dulaney.

Gartner anticipates that internet-capability will become commonplace in mobile device in the next couple of years. By the year 2004, the researcher predicts that 70 per cent of mobile phones will have some form of data capability through internet access, and that data-focused PDAs will become wireless-enabled. Price will dictate the level of functionality offered by these devices, which will range from basic e-mail facilities to full internet browsing capabilities.

Gartner said that manufacturers are continuing to add functionality to hand-held devices. By 2003, it said, a #300 PDA will offer colour screens, integrated wireless communication, location services and speech recognition.

One network manager said that managing a number of disparate devices that would attach remotely to the network would become a core concern: "I can't afford to add 10 per cent to the cost of running the network," he said.