Earlier this week, Research In Motion (RIM) announced its new BlackBerry 8820 smartphone, which the company says is the first BlackBerry that can "seamlessly switch between cellular networks and a Wi-Fi network."
In other words, users can be on voice calls via cellular networks when they arrive at the office and then switch to the corporate Wi-Fi network without a hitch, according to RIM. The device is expected to become available on AT&T's network some time this summer.
"The BlackBerry 8820 complements our carrier partners' cellular networks with the added ability to stay connected via Wi-Fi at home, through hotspots and corporate campuses," said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at RIM, in a press release.
Last month, I wrote about a new study from In-Stat, a technology market research firm that concluded the demand for such "dual-mode" Wi-Fi/cellular phones is on the rise, and I asked readers to comment on their awareness of these phones and whether or not they thought the devices provided any specific value to enterprises. I didn't get much of a response. And I wasn't too surprised, either. After all, there currently aren't many mobile phones out there with this "dual-mode" functionality and there are fewer still that can seamlessly switch between a cellular network and Wi-Fi.
With RIM's introduction of the BlackBerry 8820, enterprises will surely start taking note of dual-mode mobile phones, and many will begin deploying them across their enterprises in the coming months. When RIM makes a move, other device manufacturers notice, and you'll likely see many more mobile phones with the ability to switch between cellular networks and Wi-Fi in the near future.
According to In-Stat, the most significant benefits to enterprises of dual-mode mobile phones are the potential cost-savings and increased control over corporate phones. For instance, instead of racking up charges from carriers for use of their cellular networks, users can simply choose to switch to Wi-Fi whenever it's available. Wi-Fi networks often aren't free outside of corporate or home settings, so fees for usage of external networks will still apply in some cases; however, the money that could be saved while in the office or at home makes dual-mode phones worth some investigation. In-Stat also noted that such phones give businesses more control over what their users are doing with their corporate phones while in the office.
"These [voice-over-Wi-Fi] phones let them get control back when
