In a double breakthrough, Telus Corp. is offering the ZTE D90 mobile handset, the first to feature Zi Corp.'s eZiType software for faster data input coupled with Digit Wireless' Fastap keyboard, designed to save strokes on compact keypads. ZTE is also the first wireless phone manufacturer from mainland China to offer devices directly to Canadian consumers, according to a joint Telus-ZTE press release.

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Perhaps indicating that Canadian telcos offering new wireless applications are on the right track, ABI Research says mobile data apps and services revenue will hit $100 billion by 2012. "Although voice will still generate the bulk of revenues from business customers, mobile data services revenues will become 26% of ARPUs (average revenue per user) by 2012, a 29% compound annual growth rate," says principal analyst Dan Shey in an ABI press release. Vendors with the right mix of industry focus and functionality could witness compound annual growth rates of 80% to 90%, he adds.

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Corporate IT departments are losing their grip on applications and services thanks to the "consumerization" of business technology, according to the Yankee Group. In a report, Zen and the Art of Rogue Employee Management, the research firm says nearly 50% of employees feel they have more control over the technologies they use than the IT department does, and that could create support and maintenance problems. But rather than dictate and enforce policies, IT departments should set guidelines and directions, the Yankee Group says. Use Web 2.0 tools to create user applications. Support wikis and social networks to help users manage their own IT applications and services. But also set strict security baselines so the new apps integrate with, but don't negatively impact, the existing infrastructure.

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