4. Sociology and Legislation

We've all heard ringing cell phones in restaurants and have seen the reminders to shut them off at the start of a movie, but Mathias said 2008 will see wireless device courtesy become a mandate as opposed to a suggestion, making overhearing loud conversations about anything and everything an uncomfortable piece of history.

"There's a backlash against these constantly ringing cell phones," he said. "People are forgetting to use common sense and common courtesy."

While signal jammers, devices used to block cell transmissions, are still illegal to install in most areas, Mathias said 2008 could see legislation to enforce appropriate and rational use of mobile devices in public. He said it could advance to the point where phones automatically get switched to silent or vibrate as someone crosses a threshold into a restaurant or other public area.

Mathias added that legislation is also coming that will ban mobile device use while driving, with or without a headset.

"That's a major safety issue," he said. "It creates inattention blindness."

While Mathias said for many these legislative and social mandates will be a welcome change, just how to enforce those new rules and regulations may be more of a trend for 2009.

Cisco's Gibson said he hadn't really considered the sociological aspect of wireless ubiquity, but noted that separation of work and life will continue to be a heated debate in the anytime, anywhere culture wireless technologies have spawned.

"Mobility for business purposes should have its place," he said.

5. Network Openness

Mathias said the biggest wireless story of 2007 –- no, not the iPhone -- will carry over and continue to dominate next year, and that's the story of openness, offering any device open access to any network with the switch of a SIM card. Verizon Wireless in November said it would open up its wireless network to outside devices and applications by sometime next year. AT&T quickly followed, claiming its network is and has been wide open. The announcements were surprising to many in the industry and out of character for major service providers, especially Verizon, since it once fought tooth and nail to keep networks closed.

Mathias said open access, meaning devices from other manufacturers, can access other carriers' networks, will shake up the wireless industry, which until openness begins next year was largely proprietary in North America.

"They realize the easy money has been made," Mathias said of Verizon and the carriers that are soon to follow suit and unlock their networks. "You can't tell a big corporation any more that they can't use a certain device."

For VARs, openness is also good news. It gives them more devices to sell over time and a wider array of solutions to offer. They can give customer more choice, which is likely to lead to strong customer retention, especially when contracts with carriers to use their networks may be a thing of the past.

Openness, Gibson agreed, is positive for business, especially as 2008 becomes the year that seamless mobile collaboration starts to stick.

"Enterprises will start adopting it and the carriers will have to catch up," he said.

Steve Brumer, president, CEO and founder of Wireless Rain, a Suwanee, Ga.-based wireless VAR and managed service provider, said the impact of network openness on the channel is up in the air, especially neither carrier has offered their exact definition of open. Still, he added, open networks could let VARs launch more managed service offerings, which could let their clients rely less on the carriers for support and more on their VARs.

"From a VAR perspective, it will open up more opportunities to sell more products or different products," Brumer said. "It could get to a point where customers are relying on you for more products."