Wi-Fi smart phone

Smart phones were once used primarily by higher-level executives and the most hard-core of road warriors. But prices are coming down, meaning that they are becoming appropriate for ever-more employees. Despite the rapid growth of smart phones, however, you have to look hard -- at least for now -- to find one with Wi-Fi. For many users, though, it will be worth the search.

That's because these devices not only perform the usual smart phone duties of providing cellular voice service and data access and managing contacts and appointments, but they also increase the flexibility and potential applications for mobile users. In particular, cellular data plans are expensive and coverage isn't always available. Wi-Fi-enabled smart phones allow users to log on inexpensively if they happen to be at, say, a free wireless hot spot or at a customer site with an accessible wireless network. Similarly, Wi-Fi-enabled smart phones also open the way to occasional use of voice-over-IP, which doesn't eat away cellular minutes.

One of the sweetest dual-mode devices we've seen is . Another intriguing option is the .

Technology is emerging to enable phones to automatically transition between Wi-Fi and cellular networks. In fact, T-Mobile is testing such a system in the U.S. But even without that technology, your employees will like dual-mode phones because they won't have to go out of their way to find a place where they can connect. And that, of course, will give them more time to do what they're paid to do.