Research In Motion’s BlackBerry Torch 9800 was supposed to rejuvenate the company’s hold of the business smartphone market. However, after only a week, many online retailers have reduced the price of the new smartphone by half of its original cost.

The company opted to make a device with the dependability and safety it is known for, while also adding new features to put it in line with trendy and flashy smartphones like the Droid and iPhone 4.

Although some experts say the phone works well and may be the best BlackBerry ever, others have voiced RIM did not do enough to make it a competitive option in the current market.

Despite the criticism, the price drop could be a good move for the company, as the device offers a lot of enterprise features ideal for businesses at a much more affordable price than its competitors. Business leaders who favor BlackBerry smartphones and Research In Motion’s OS may look to upgrade their employees’ devices – and save money in the process.

Many companies have begun seeking the assistance of mobility management experts as a way of calculating and keeping tabs of their mobile expenses. A mobile management specialist can guide businesses through the process of buying the new BlackBerry devices and outline a budget to ensure companies do not spend beyond their means.

A new research study reported the majority of Verizon subscribers said they would lean toward purchasing an iPhone if the device was available from their current wireless provider.

The study, conducted by Michigan-based research firm Morpace, found 51 percent of 1,000 current Verizon subscribers said they were “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to buy an iPhone if they could use it with Verizon.

The demand for the iPhone continues to grow, despite a rough summer in which its highly anticipated iPhone 4 was met with heavy criticism for inept antenna and reception capabilities.

With a continued desire for Apple’s latest smartphone, many businesses must consider the costs of switching their providers to please employees. If the majority of workers want a certain type of phone, many businesses may cater to those needs, potentially leading to an increase in mobile expenses.

To make the transition easier, businesses have sought the assistance from mobility management experts who can help guide companies through the purchasing process. By providing an outlined budget, specialists can show companies how to obtain the devices they need while still managing their expenses.

Smartphone makers have recently begun to incorporate touch screens with physical keyboards as a way of catering to many business professionals who have grown comfortable with BlackBerry devices’ hard buttons, but want the high-tech feel of a digital keyboard, Computerworld reports.

The Droid 2 and BlackBerry Torch 9800 have already been released and feature both style of keyboards along with other mobile management tools as a more attractive option for business professionals. Samsung’s Epic 4G, which will be available at the end of the month, will also have similar capabilities, making Apple’s iPhone the one of the only major smartphones available without a physical keyboard.

Jack Cold, principal analyst at J. Gold Associates, told Computerworld he was “not at all surprised that carriers want to make sure they offer the maximum choice to provide optimum devices for their customers, particularly since they want to keep all customers happy and avoid churn.”

Businesses looking to distribute smartphones to employees must weigh their workers’ preferences with the costs for each device. Manging mobile expenses can be another challenge for companies that are already overwhelmed with financial burdens as a result of the current economic condition. To improve their operations and control their costs, companies have looked to mobility management specialists, who can provide a clear and efficient budgeting system to ensure companies purchase the right smartphones while staying within their means.

Apple has come along way since its debut of the iPhone in 2007. The company’s first device did not have encryption or remote wiping, had no access to 3G networks and couldn’t operate with Microsoft Exchange. In other words, the device did not offer strong mobility management and was not enterprise-ready.

However, the Cupertino, California-based company’s latest smartphone has improved its business operations, making it a more valid candidate for companies looking to distribute a smartphone to employees, Computer World reports.

Each new version has improved its security and enterprise features, and the iPhone 4 is no exception. Although the smartphone may not have the security depth of Research In Motion’s BlackBerry devices, for many companies, it provides sufficient measures to ensure the safety of data.

Although the iOS 4 has integrated essential tools to improve convenience and functionality of Apple’s smartphones, companies are still vulnerable to security risks and inefficiencies without proper mobile management strategies. Creating a list of mobile use policies can ensure that workers behave appropriately and work efficiently with their devices.

Samsung will release a new smartphone on August 31, which will help the company compete in the mobile device market.

The Samsung Epic 4G will have the capability to access the faster 4G network, which may be an enticing option for businesses that want to equip their workers with the latest gadgets. The release of the device is the latest smartphone in Sprint’s lineup of products with 4G technology.

The phone will retail for $250 after rebates, which would be $50 more than the HTC Evo 4G, also available through the wireless provider. Analysts expected the phone to cost $200, making it a more viable mobile management solution for companies looking to upgrade their mobile devices.

The Epic features a hard QWERTY keyboard, similar to those featured on Research In Motion’s BlackBerry smartphones. Making a device to please BlackBerry users may be Samsung’s way of infiltrating the business smartphone market, which the Canada-based company currently dominates.

The device can also be used as a Wi-Fi hotspot to connect five other devices to faster speeds. The capability costs an additional $30, making it another expense for companies to consider. To manage these accumulating mobile expenses, companies can look to a mobility management expert who can help structure a useful budget to keep track of mobile spending. By seeking the advice of a specialist, companies can outfit their workers with the latest devices without worrying about going over their budgets.

Smartphone users are spending an increasing amount of time surfing social networking sites, according to recent reports.

Business professionals have grown dependent on their mobile devices to complete work tasks and conduct business when not in the office. However, their growing smartphone use has other implications as well.

A recent Nielsen study found in an average work hour, employees spend 25 minutes accessing their email through a mobile device – the largest amount of time from all activities. Time spent on social networking sites was six minutes and 20 seconds, making it the third most prominent activity.

Although there are security risks involved with using a work-issued phone to connect to those sites, employees surfing Facebook on the job means a company may be running inefficiently. As a way to prevent wasted work hours, many businesses have sought the advice from mobility management experts to help introduce and enforce mobile use policies.

Mobile management specialists can guide businesses through policy creation and even allow them to create regulations that fit their specific processes. Simply eliminating access to those sites can result in angry employees and thus, using a proven mobile management plan can be an effective solution to please workers and company leaders.

A recently released a survey of small- and medium-sized businesses, conducted by Hubspot and SMB group, found a large number of SMBs plan to increase their spending on technology and services during the next year.

In the survey, titled 2010 Small Medium Businesses Routes to Market Study, researchers wrote SMBs “are very confused” and often have trouble realizing “what solutions will best help meet business challenges and goals.”

Despite the confusion, many companies are looking to improve their services. The survey found 50 percent of the respondents, which represented 475 SMBs said they expect to increase their investments in technology services by as much as 20 percent during the next 12 months, with 53 percent of businesses employing between 250 and 499 individuals expecting to invest in enterprise resource planning.

With more businesses looking to distribute smartphones to employees, spending on enterprise planning will play a big role in how a company manages its expenses. To improve mobile management policies and have increased oversight of mobile expenditures, organizations are seeking out the advice of mobility management experts.

Managed services professionals can help companies wisely invest their resources and create budgetary plans to make sure they don’t over spend on mobile devices.

Research In Motion officially released its BlackBerry Torch 9800 smartphone on Thursday in an attempt to remind business professionals that the Canada-based company is still the elite provider of mobile management devices.

Critics seems to agree, as many have praised the new device for incorporating similar trendy features that appear on the iPhone and Android smartphones, while not sacrificing the security BlackBerrys are known for.

The Torch has a new operating system – BlackBerry 6 – and a new web browser, as well as continuing to include a hard-key QWERTY keyboard in addition to a touch screen. Many business professionals have become accustomed to punching hard keys, making the transition to devices solely featuring a touch-screen, such as the iPhone, somewhat challenging.

Companies looking at different smartphone options for their employees may choose the Torch for its new look but traditional security mechanisms. To manage the purchasing and monthly expenses of adding the new device to their arsenals, businesses are increasingly looking to mobility management services, which can guide them through the process.

Connecting to the internet is a useful asset for business professionals, but can also be costly for companies if they do not properly manage data use. Consulting with a mobile management specialist can ensure an organization doesn’t spend overspend on monthly data expenses.

A subpar second quarter has resulted in electronics manufacturer LG to refocus its resources on smartphones.

The company’s HDTV sales declined during Q2 2010, forcing them to cut back on production of a major sector of their company. However, by reallocating resources to its smartphone sector, LG hopes to boost their sales.

The South Korea-based company expects to sell six million smartphones by the end of 2010. LG plans to ride the booming Android wave by releasing 15 of its expected 20 smartphones this year with the Google operating system.

Business employees have shown a desire for Android phones, and with LG cutting its production from 145 mobile devices to only 70, the renewed focus may mean a higher quality end result. To weave itself into the business market, the company will have to develop phones that work well in the enterprise.

Cost will be another issue. The iPhone and the Droid can be expensive options for some organizations, and thus, providing a quality smartphone that sells at a lower cost can help LG gain shares of the market. Many companies have employed the services of mobility management experts to help them manage their expenses and inventory their devices. If LG can succeed in making a cost-efficient and productive tool, experts may see value in recommending the company’s smartphones to different businesses.

For many professionals, losing a smartphone can be similar to having an office computer’s hard drive wiped out. PC World reports individuals are 15 times more likely to lose their smartphones than their laptops.

The reliance on these mobile devices is increasing exponentially, as many workers will connect to their corporate network, exchange emails and store business documents on their smartphones.

So, when the phone is left in a subway car on the way to work, or lost at a business convention in another city, companies have mobile management policies in place to protect their information.

Establishing a mobile use policy can be tricky and hard to implement because employees may become upset or frustrated with regulations that are too restrictive. Many businesses will outsource their mobile management needs to a provider who can help guide them through the policy process.

These processes include more than just security. Mobility management experts can offer businesses improved methods of managing their expenses and tracking their inventories; this can ensure companies are not purchasing new smartphones when they may already have devices in their supplies. Resources saved by better management and oversight can be used to enhance business operations and improve productivity.

A recent study has found the introduction of 4G technologies will boost the widespread use of new applications, including web streaming and social networking, for smartphone users.

The Datamonitor’s Business Insights report released on Tuesday found 80 percent of mobile connections are still generated on 2G networks, with 4G phones barely available on the market.

“The improved network speed, efficiency and capacity provided by 4G, together with the increasing capabilities of converged mobile devices, will lead to increased rich and media content and applications,” said Richard Basalum, an analyst for Business Insights.

As 4G becomes more widely available, businesses may look to add these devices to their arsenal. However, with increased speeds and capabilities comes the need for greater mobile management policies. How business employees use the devices, and what they use them for, will need to be regulated and managed to ensure maximum productivity.

Seeking an enterprise mobility management solution can be the key to integrating this new technology into businesses’ core. The price for these devices can cost companies a lot of money; by seeking the assistance of mobile use specialists, businesses can better manage their expenses as they look to upgrade the newest technology.

Android smartphones are gaining steam in the business mobile device market. Manufacturers using Google’s OS, such as HTC and Samsung, have posted some of the highest year-on-year growth rates in Q2 2010 smartphone vendor rankings, as recorded by IDC.

The rapid growth and introduction of Android devices into the market has increased demand from employees, who see value in the smartphones’ mobile management tools.

“Within businesses, we’re seeing a rise in smartphone use although, it’s mainly for BlackBerrys,” said Ramon Llamas, a senior research analyst at IDC, Computing reports. “However, we’re getting a lot of users coming in and saying – ‘I’d like to connect this smartphone to the network, can you do it for me?’.”

Because of their open source format, Android smartphones are an appealing option for many IT managers. An open source setup allows IT professionals to craft specific security solutions to protect devices accessing the corporate network.

To understand the best mobile policies and how to implement them, businesses are seeking mobile management experts. Many of the best vendors can help companies introduce mobile use policies and help to manage them to make sure employees are safely using their phones for work-related activities.