By 2016, manufacturing will generate approximately 23% of the nearly $5 billion in mobile enterprise application service revenues, said ABI Research. Mobile enterprise applications, also called mobile B2E applications, include dashboard apps, work flow approval apps, and line-of-business applications for both the smartphone and tablet.
Mobile services practice director at ABI Research, Dan Shey, said: “Manufacturing beats healthcare for B2E app adoption and revenues because of its large employment worldwide and the breadth of occupations that can benefit from mobile apps. China is also one of the biggest drivers for manufacturing B2E app adoption.”
Manufacturing is the second largest employer worldwide according to ABI Research. Manufacturing also employs a wide range of occupations using B2E apps, including shipping/receiving workers, delivery drivers, management and supervisory personnel, sales, and installation and repair workers. Finally, China is the world’s manufacturing hub, which drives B2E app need not only for Chinese manufacturers but also for companies visiting their Chinese subcontractors.
Healthcare is the top sector in B2E app adoption when viewing the data at the regional level. Healthcare leads in Western Europe, the Middle East, and especially North America, where healthcare B2E adoption outpaces manufacturing by nearly five to one.