Back in business
Smartphone-maker HTC has announced the launch of HTC Business in the UK - a separate division devoted to promoting and supporting the use of its handsets in a professional environment.
For anyone who had to wrestle with ‘productivity handsets' like the HTC TyTN - which were a pain to use mainly due to Windows Mobile - the news that HTC is redoubling its efforts to target the UK business users will elicit a mixed response. But not only has HTC embraced Android with open arms since that time, Microsoft seems to have got its act together too.
"The HTC brand is increasingly gaining traction with consumers across the globe but our heritage lies in the business market," commented Jon French, executive director of HTC UK, Ireland and South Africa (obviously a rugby fan - Ed).
"Smartphones are increasingly connecting to business networks, creating more productive mobile workforces and saving organisations money by consolidating the number of devices traditionally used by employees. The business smartphone market represented nearly a third of the total smartphone market in 2009, according to analyst house Canalys, and is expected to grow dramatically in the coming years."
There is a new website for this division, but apart from a lot of banging on about "five stars", it essentially seems to exist to provide a phone number and email address right now. Those lead you to a tech support team that exists to help with things like integrating HTC devices with back-end IT systems. There are also loan schemes to enable potential business customers to try before they buy.
"We strongly believe that the latest generation of smartphones has finally reached a stage where we can truly speak of enabling mobile working and productivity at a reduced cost," said French. "Innovation and agility are two avenues through which small- and medium-sized businesses in the UK are looking to beat the current economic pressures."
