The common thread in these legislative measures is the use of electronic, or digital, signatures as a method of ensuring the validity of transactions, and as a means of ensuring the security of data transmitted in the process of a transaction. Practical applications that can be bundled with a product provide the perfect opportunity to give a potential customer a nudge into the new wireless space. Meanwhile, companies like Motorola are pushing forward with integrated voice capabilities for wireless devices, so the push for the newest, best and brightest continues. There's one rather large problem looming, though, which will affect how resellers can effectively market mobile products. It's called a recession.
Belt tightening Simply put, with a slowdown comes belt-tightening.
The emphasis will be, for the foreseeable future, on practical products, efficiently targeted at cost savings and return on investment. This could mean deploying web-enabled phones to a sales force, with handhelds going to senior executives and planning staff, while notebooks are sold to traveling employees. A recent Royal Bank study predicts Canada will outperform the U.S. through 2002, with the gross domestic product growing each year.