E-mail will remain the most popular mobile application for businesses across the Asia-Pacific region, accounting for 61 percent of the overall market in 2012, according to Springboard Research.
In a report released Monday, the research firm said the Asia-Pacific enterprise mobility software market is expected to expand at an average growth rate of 34 percent, clocking US$3.7 billion in 2012.
E-mail is projected to command 61 percent share of this market, leading other mobile applications such as instant messaging, enterprise software and conference, though these are forecasted to also see growth, Springboard said. However, it noted, a lack of standardization in operating platforms and mobile technology will result in interoperability issues.
According to the research firm, Asian companies are moving their focus to provide the middle and lower segments of their employee base with access to business mobile applications.
"Enterprises are realizing the importance of mobilizing the bottom segment of business operations in order to improve cost and time efficiencies, and render the complete process value chain more productive," Nupur Singh Andley, Springboard's senior research analyst, said in the report.
She noted, however, that security concerns and overall costs of deploying a mobility strategy will continue to "inhibit aggressive adoption" among small and midsize businesses (SMBs).
Pharmaceutical and healthcare, as well as banking, financial and insurance industries are among strong adopters of enterprise mobility, Andley said, adding that manufacturing and retail are evolving markets. Various e-governance initiatives within Asia have also helped fuel growth, she said.
Based in Singapore, Konrad Foo is an intern with ZDNet Asia.
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