SMART PHONES could start eating into the global laptop market within the year, according to infrastructure software firm Citrix.

The firm's chief executive Mark Templeton has told The Irish Timesthat smart phones and PDA devices could assume a dominant role by 2010.

“Many people in western cultures will travel with smart phones in lieu of a traditional notebook,” Templeton said. “Maybe they might carry a netbook, but they will really rely on a smart phone.

“In many developing nations, a smart phone may actually be the only computer some people ever have in their entire lives.”

Templeton made the comments at the Citrix iForum event in Edinburgh.

Casual users, people who consume information, are driving this market change, according to Templeton. The Citrix chief executive said the devices would also take a substantial chunk of the mobile phone market.

“Most people I talk to believe the smart phone is the mobile platform for voice and data and mobile video. There will always be segments for voice and text-oriented phones, but they will be more niche than mainstream.”

Despite Templeton’s forecast of a substantial shift in global buying habits, Citrix’s Irish operation expects less of an impact in the local market.

According to Niall Gilmore, Citrix country manager for Ireland: “We like our phones in Ireland. It’s clear smart phones are on the way. If we can get to a point where users are comfortable with smart phones, then adoption rates could be good.

“I still think traditional devices on the desk like PCs and laptops will always have a place,” Gilmore added. “A lot of users by and large use more than one device, so it remains to be seen whether that ends up being an alternative to PCs.”

Citrix said that in addition to changes to the communications market, there would be substantial developments in how business applications are delivered in the near future.

The firm recently launched Dazzle, a system for accessing IT tools that bears a striking resemblance to Apple’s iTunes.

“People don’t want to go to training to learn how to use applications. They want to discover it on their own,” Templeton said.

“The way that’s affecting applications is that more customers are choosing applications for their simplicity over richness in features.When users find an application that doesn’t require training, then the adoption rate is better.”