SAN FRANCISCO (Business 2.0 Magazine) - Alas, the mobile future won't be all play and no work. In many cases, mobile devices will stand in for laptops to handle basic workplace tasks like e-mail, messaging, Web access, and manipulating documents.

Convergence will be the watchword, but with a business-oriented twist: On the road, workers will be able to remotely access essential contacts, scheduling information, and business documents.

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Likewise, productivity-oriented convergence will combine the pervasiveness of the cellular grid with the versatility of IP-based data networks and the organizational capabilities embedded in many corporate phone systems.

Voice-mail, extension dialing, and staff directories will be fully accessible from next-generation mobile devices, while BlackBerry-style e-mail will become commonplace, at a fraction of the current cost.

Professionals will have tools to help manage the flow of their communications, in the form of applications that prioritize incoming calls and messages.

The bad news is that, thanks to broadband wireless networks, you'll never really be out of touch. On the bright side, however, you'll also have more sophisticated ways to control how and when you're reachable.

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Read more about your wireless future:

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