While UK businesses are predicted to spend 12 per cent of their total IT investment on mobile and wireless in 2004 - amounting to £9.9bn - nearly two thirds of businesses have no clear mobile strategy.

A survey of 600 firms sponsored by mobile operator O2 has found that, although mobile devices and applications are now widespread in business, companies are still focusing their investment on applications rather than strategic goals.

Just 10 per cent of businesses cited improving customer communications or improving employee availability as objectives behind recent mobile investment.

The lack of strategy is accompanied by a lack of senior-level involvement, O2 said, with only 12 per cent of senior managers taking a role in developing a mobile strategy.

IT departments are also failing to grasp the reins, with 35 per cent of companies allowing departments to spend money on wireless without consulting their IT department.

This means mobile policy decisions are fragmented around the organisation, reducing potential return on investment and exposing the business to unnecessary security risks such as the use of unauthorised devices and lack of overall visibility by the IT department.

On average, seven per cent of the business workforce within the companies surveyed use their own PDAs at work without the approval of the IT team.

One in five IT directors admitted they had no knowledge about the level of personal device ownership within the business and whether employees are synchronising critical data, copying documents or sending email.