Who Needs A Desk Phone?

摘要

Are companies ready to cut the cord? A forecast by research firm Gartner suggests that more businesses could soon join the many households that have unplugged from their landlines to go mobile-only. Gartner predicts that by 2012 about 23% of North American businesses will be doing without desk phones-up from 4% in 2008.rnAt the forefront of this trend are out -fits like San Jose Web design firm Yogirt. Co-founder Brian Yoshida didn't even bother with desk phones when he set up the company five years ago. Wireless -only is "the future" he says.rnThat's music to the ears of makers of so - called smartphones-including Re -search in Motion, Nokia, and Acer. In their pitches to corporate clients, they emphasize the cost savings that come with switching to mobile.rnInitially installing one desk phone can cost up to $500, and the monthly per-line fee must be paid even if an employee is rarely in the office. For cell phones the average initial cost per employee is about $200, plus monthly charges. Given companies' concerns about controlling employees' cellphone usage, however, most businesses are likely to buy mobiles but link them to their phone networks.