A new Yankee Group report, "Enterprises Cut Their Sales Forces Loose," predicts that CRM software vendors, systems integrators (SIs) and mobile middleware providers will focus their selling efforts on early-adopter vertical markets like pharmaceuticals, financial services and high-technology manufacturing.

The research and consulting firm said 2ireless and other mobile technologies are spurring the market for mobile field sales solutions, but that is not the only market driver:

-- Field sales is the largest segment of mobile workers (34 percent) among major companies, according to the Yankee Group's 2002 Corporate Wireless Survey.

-- Many enterprises trying to capitalize on sales-force automation (SFA) are hindered by slow user adoption, but new technologies are providing more options.

-- Competition is pushing enterprises to improve sales efficiency and effectiveness; mobile technology is one way to do that.

-- Salespeople are adopting wireless and mobile technology on their own.