Rather like this year's British summer, mobile internet access is something that seems to have been promised forever but has still failed to announce its arrival.

When the government auctioned off the rights to operate the 'next generation' mobile phone networks for more than £22bn in 2000, consumers were promised fast, cheap web access. But, seven years later and the use of mobile internet has failed to take off in the way many in the technology sector predicted. This has been blamed on high costs, slow download speeds, a host of different systems and a lack of interest in the latest 3G handsets — although finally, the market seems about to explode.

Recruiters have traditionally been at ease with the latest technology and many are now queuing up to take advantage of the anticipated boom in mobile internet usage. Mobile phone operators including Vodafone, T-Mobile and Three have launched cheaper services for the UK's 15.5m consumers who access the web from their mobiles. As a direct result, recruiters are anticipating that there will be an increased interest in potential new recruits using a mobile device to find out about the latest vacancies.

Busier lifestyles and the widespread use of mobile phones could also lead to more people using portable devices to manage their career. After all, who wants to log on to a PC after a long day at work when a quick glance at a phone could do the same job?

Colin Minto, a recruitment technology specialist at Bornto and a former managing director of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation's technology subsidiary, says these advances in technology will create a host of opportunities for recruiters. He points out that mobile phone penetration is growing at three times the speed of PC ownership, developing a massive audience for the mobile web market.

"The mobile internet opportunity is one that recruiters must embrace immediately and wholeheartedly if they are to capitalise on the early adopter benefits available. I can say this with great confidence because organisations such as Microsoft, Google, Yahoo!, YouTube, MySpace and Facebook are already delivering their offerings via the mobile internet," he says. "If they are exploiting the opportunity, the mobile internet 'Gold Rush' has most definitely started."

The statistics will certainly have recruiters licking their lips, with the young and affluent making up the majority of those currently using the mobile web. A poll for Point Topic and YouGov shows that 57% of people who use the mobile web are under the age of 35, but those interested in using it in the future represent all ages and backgrounds.

Current usage is also dominated by work-related applications which suggests that users would be comfortable searching for jobs. Tim Johnson, chief analyst at Point Topic, says:

"Just as with mobile phones and the early years of the internet, the early adopters of internet on the move are young male technology enthusiasts. But there are millions more out there who are keen to use it, if the prices and solutions are right for them.

"Our survey shows there is a big potential market out there, but the vendors and operators need a new approach to take advantage of it," he explains.

Peter Holsgrove, managing director of asap — a specialist developer of mobile internet recruitment solutions — says that several industry big hitters are starting to get involved in mobile internet. "The embryonic nature of the market suggests recruiters and job boards of all sizes are well placed to pioneer mobile services that will significantly impact the way candidates interact with digital job postings," he says. "At this stage the ground breaking innovations are still to be discovered."

Holsgrove predicts that improved technology will allow recruiters to take advantage of better integration between mobile devices, enabling greater use of video, agency promotion and applications sent directly from mobile handsets. "The majority of new mobile handsets now come with large memory capabilities for media purposes and it won't be long before jobseekers upload their CVs onto their handsets," he says.

He concedes that cost and functionality issues are still hampering widespread take-up but insists that recruiters will reap rewards from the latest mobile internet developments. "Giving candidates the ability to apply instantly for a job, directly from their mobile, has the potential to be a huge time benefit for consultants and gives candidates an anytime, anywhere advantage," he adds.

James Saunders, managing director of recruitment web design firm 4MAT, says the market is still in its infancy and argues that far more development is needed for it to become mainstream. "There's a big difference between just having a website that can be viewed on a mobile phone and one that is optimised for mobile use. These types of sites are made deliberately for use with mobiles and are far more sophisticated.

"I think we need to identify users who will want this type of service. I think it will probably attract IT staff who are very web savvy or people such as construction managers who may be on site all day without access to a PC," he says.

4MAT is already working with two leading recruiters to develop specialised mobile sites but Saunders says that the real cutting edge technology, such as mobile online videos or candidate profiles, could still be some way off. "It's about building relationships and making it easier for candidates to communicate with recruiters or job boards. The integration with text messaging is crucial and a system that provides job alerts and the ability to apply for them online using a mobile device will prove a powerful combination," he says.

Joe Slavin, chief executive officer at Fish4, is currently testing a new mobile service earmarked for launch this month. For him the mobile web is about communicating with candidates and is something with the potential to increase the speed to hire. This will become crucial to recruiters as the job market constricts and jobseekers want to find out about vacancies as quickly as possible.

"Any system has to be extremely well targeted and relevant to each candidate. But new technology is really putting recruiters in the best possible position to deliver results for candidates. One of the real benefits will be for people who may not have internet access between 9am and 5pm but do have a mobile phone. The penetration for mobiles is far higher than for online access," he says.

If the market takes off in the way some experts are predicting recruiters cannot afford to miss out, especially with people starting to use mobiles even more than PCs to manage their lives.



Mobile internet



Mobile web is a way of accessing the internet using portable devices such as mobile phones, PDAs or handheld games consoles. The idea is that web users can log onto the web without the need for a desktop computer.

Up to now the medium has suffered some compatibility problems and has not experienced widespread use largely because of the small size of the screens on mobile devices.

But usage is on the rise mainly because of the growth of next generation mobile phone handsets. According to figures from the Mobile Data Association, more people are using phones to access the net, with an increase of one million sessions in 12 months.

A total of 15.5m consumers used a mobile device to access the internet in March and the market is predicted to be on the cusp of major growth. Many recruiters are already involved in the sector and with most users being young and relatively affluent, it's an area that could be about to have a major impact.



The employer's perspective



Accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which has been voted the best company to work for by graduates for the past two years, is already using mobile internet channels to attract recruits. By using the latest technology to keep in touch with potential candidates or send details of events nearest to students and graduates it is staying one step ahead of rivals.

Charles Macleod, director of resourcing at the firm, says it is important to communicate with young people in the way that suits them best. "The ability to access information remotely has improved massively in recent years and is becoming really important in recruitment terms. It's a medium that a lot of people now rely on to communicate and it's growing in importance," he explains.

PwC uses podcasts and blogs that are accessible from mobile phones and iPods in an attempt to reach their target audience. The company also sends details of recruitment events directly to mobile devices using technology that can identify the nearest event based on the geographical location of the potential candidates' handsets.

"Young people organise their lives with their mobiles — it's the device that wakes them up in the morning, lets them communicate and enables them to plan where they want to go," says Macleod. "Organisations should be creating the means to use this new technology because this is the next wave of opportunity. We'll have to wait and see how much recruitment will be affected by it, but it's something we need to be working on."