Businesses have long been working out how best to use mobile technology to improve internal business processes. Some are now also looking at mobile data services to improve how they interact with customers.

But there are advantages and pitfalls to using mobile options. It has a clear role to play in areas such as advertising and in offering services anytime, anywhere. “The great thing about mobile is that it has the potential to work both in targeted campaigns and on a mass scale,” says John Delaney, an analyst at IDC. “With the mobile you know what people are doing and who they are.”