Read the press in the UK at the moment and you will probably know that the big 3G mobile telephone operators are touting video as the killer application to launch 3G mobile telephones (3G - third generation) onto the market. Spurred on by the successes of the English cricket team in this summer’s ashes series, and the trials and tribulations of following our national football (soccer) team, it seems that thousands of us were prepared to put up with the poor pictures and slow downloads of current GPRS video phones. Therefore, with the dramatically improved bandwidth of the 3G mobile telephone networks and the strides in mobile phone technology, it seems we are all going to dash out and buy 3G video phones for Christmas.

That may all very well be true. The service providers need to start seeing returns on the enormous payments made to obtain 3G mobile telephone operating licences. It is in their interests to talk up the merits of television over the telephone. Video may well be the killer application for the consumer market.

Things are different for businesses. You really can't see large corporates being too happy at large chunks of their mobile telephony budgets being squandered on the dubious pleasures of following the English football team.

As with anything else, large companies need to see the return on investment possibilities before committing to the large scale purchase of 3G telephones. And as much money as there is to be made in the consumer market, the big bucks come from selling to businesses.

In the short term businesses may well find the case for 3G telephones rests with more prosaic applications. Simple things like being able to carry a permanently up to date appointments diary in your shirt pocket. A diary that remains up to date with all those appointments your colleagues or assistants make for you while you are out with clients. A diary that gives you the ability to see all your colleagues’ diaries and schedule appointments for you all at mutually convenient times. Now add in such simple things as being able to see all your contacts details wherever you are. And how about being able to access and work on all your Microsoft Office documents no matter where you are?

These are the elements of a killer application for businesses. And they're available today in the Intelligent Diary.

The Intelligent Diary runs on a standard pocket PC smart phone from Imate. It is available now using the GPRS network and supports WLAN, Bluetooth, infrared and triband GSM. Oh, did I mention that you can also get video on it?

And it's a camera, MP3 player...

Makes the Blackberry look a bit like a one trick pony doesn't it?

Keith Longmire is director of Intelligent Diary. His basic philosophy is 'technolgy without business benefit is useless'. Find out more at Intelligent Diary.

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