According to Gartner Research 2013 will see a tremendous increase in smartphone and tablet sales, hitting a predicted 1.2 billion at the end of the year. It will be an increase from this year’s predicted 821 million – which account for 70% of all devices sold in 2012.
“For most businesses smartphones and tablets will not entirely replace PCs, but the ubiquity of smartphones and the increasing popularity of tablets are changing both the way consumers embrace devices and business device strategies,” noted Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner.
“In 2016, two-thirds of the mobile workforce will own a smartphone, and 40 percent of the workforce will be mobile,” said Ms. Milanesi. Tablets will be the key accelerator to mobility. Gartner estimates that in 2012 purchases of tablets by businesses will reach 13 million units and will more than triple by 2016, to reach 53 million units. These numbers present an enormous potential for both mobile commerce and mobile payments. A mobile workforce will need swift platforms to make and accept payments as well as other banking and financial transactions that can truly be used on the go.
With mobile commerce predicted to reach $23.5 billion, it really is time for European retailers to take on the mobile trend and make sure their websites are ready for mobile devices and provide a simple payment experience.
