The announcement of Sprint Enterprise Mobility Inc. is a clear sign of the growth in voice and data applications for large business users, as well as the need for a general contractor that companies can hire to oversee integration efforts, two industry analysts said.

"There's quite a bit going on in this area, and it will get bigger," said Roger Entner, a Boston-based industry analyst at Ovum.

"Sprint anticipates mobility solutions growing phenomenally over the next two years, and they see nobody else fulfilling the need for advanced mobility solutions," added Gene Signorini, an analyst at Yankee Group Research Inc. in Boston.

Bill Halbert, president of the new subsidiary, said Sprint Enterprise Mobility will fill a need not being met by small wireless integrators or the big professional services companies such as Electronic Data Systems Corp. or IBM.

"There isn't in the market an end-to-end mobility solutions specialist with the backing we have here at Sprint with a large trusted brand," Halbert said in an interview last week. "We will take prime contract responsibility and help organizations find their way through the maze of boutique houses and all the development standards and technologies."