Mobile apps will transform business and industries

* Success of applications depends on networks that are smart, scaleable and of superior performance
* Ericsson sees four ways to support operators in offering enterprises and consumers services via apps
* Research shows that people download new apps on a daily basis

Mobile applications depend on networks that are smart, scaleable and of superior performance, and networks need the innovation coming from the apps culture, said Hans Vestberg, President and CEO of Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), in his keynote address to the GSM Association at the Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona.

“Apps are transformative - not only for consumers but also for enterprises,” says Vestberg, and cited smart grids as one example of how applications can change business models. He said: "Take the power sector, which in its process of making power, stands for a fair share of global CO2 emissions. But with mobile apps on top of the smart grids, CO2 savings can be achieved.

“The app is just one part of the whole chain, built on top of mobility and broadband leading us into the networked society,” said Vestberg.

The CEO said Ericsson is prepared to assist operators and businesses in four ways: process efficiency and automation; to increase efficiency for mobile workforces; enable companies to provide new value propositions, and to enable services to help people reach each other better in everyday situations.

“The combination of mobility, broadband and cloud, with applications added on top, means major business opportunities for the consumer market - and maybe more importantly, for the enterprise market. We as an industry can tap into new revenue streams and drive transformation in other industries. We can be the industry of industries,” said Vestberg.

Ericsson’s ConsumerLab found in a study that the habit of downloading applications was adopted more quickly into people’s daily lives than anyone imagined. “Twenty percent of app phone users answered that they downloaded apps daily, and they keep doing so,” he said. Last year, people downloaded nearly 11 billion mobile apps to smartphones.

Making money in the world of applications is possible, for entrepreneurs and mobile operators, Vestberg emphasized. “The leisure apps, games and things, will always be there and people are sometimes willing to pay for them. But I think the real potential lies in apps for enterprises and in industries like health, power and logistics,” he concluded.

Vestberg was joined by three other CEOs - Peter Chou of HTC, Peters Suh of WAC and Sir Martin Sorell of WPP - in discussing the world of mobile applications and their impact on the ICT industry.



Caption: Ericsson President and CEO Hans Vestberg presenting in Ericsson’s Hall 6 at the Mobile World Congress 2011.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Our multimedia content from the press conference is available at the broadcast room: www.ericsson.com/broadcast_room

Ericsson is the world’s leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. Ericsson is the leader in 2G, 3G and 4G mobile technologies, and provides support for networks with over 2 billion subscribers and has the leading position in managed services. The company’s portfolio comprises mobile and fixed network infrastructure, telecom services, software, broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and the media industry. The Sony Ericsson and ST-Ericsson joint ventures provide consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.

Ericsson is advancing its vision of being the “prime driver in an all-communicating world” through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 90,000 employees generated revenue of SEK 203.3 billion (USD 28.2 billion) in 2010. Founded in 1876 with the headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX, Stockholm and NASDAQ New York.

www.ericsson.com
www.twitter.com/ericssonpress
www.facebook.com/technologyforgood
www.youtube.com/ericssonpress