London, UK. August 8, 2008 -- IBM today announced new software and services for mobile devices that closely mimics desktop features hitherto found only on PCs. The new offerings are reportedly designed to help business users and consumers make better decisions faster, while connecting friends, work colleagues and teams beyond what has been available in the PC era.

According to a recent report from IBM's Institute for Business Value, the number of mobile internet users worldwide is projected to reach 1 billion this year, a 191% increase from 2006 and a compound annual growth rate of 24%. Up to 67% of all workers now use mobile and wireless computing.

To capture this market, IBM is combining its software, services and research expertise to develop new mobile products and services. The new software includes products with business intelligence, collaboration, social networking and business performance capabilities. In addition, IBM is providing developers with new tools to make existing software applications run on mobile devices. Its software is built on open standards, to be used with most mobile platforms including BlackBerry®, iPhone®, Windows Mobile®, and Symbian.

The key points to note are:
- The new software includes products with business intelligence, collaboration, social networking and business performance capabilities.
- Mobility@Work can help employers increase productivity by as much as 30 percent and cut real estate costs, the second largest corporate expense after salaries and benefits.
- Using any type of device like an iPhone, BlackBerry or laptop, users can reach into the cloud for resources as they need them.
- A video of the technology is available here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgUwvzLc3W8