New research from the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business suggests there might be a right and a wrong time to introduce a new technology to guarantee the best reception. A study of a program that provided Nextel BlackBerry 7510 wireless handheld devices to all of the schools full-time MBA students found notable differences between first- and second-year MBA students use and acceptance of their handheld devices, with the first-year students expressing significantly higher levels of acceptance and commitment. The findings point to critical windows of opportunity that appear in technology adoption.

Organizations that wish to have their employees wholeheartedly embrace new technologies should act quickly in order to make them more accessible, for example providing them immediately after an employee has entered a new job or started a new project on which the devices might provide particular efficiencies, said Susan Taylor, professor of management and organization at the Robert H. Smith School of Business and a co-author of the study. This is because potential users are especially open to learning how to use a new device or investing the time it takes to transfer data from an old device to a new one during these key transitional times.

The Smith School research suggests that such transitions automatically require changes in work patterns that tend to enhance individuals willingness to invest time and other resources in learning new technologies.

The study also offered evidence that handheld devices greatest workplace benefits revolve around instant communication vs. large-scale information sharing. Research showed that students used e-mail, Web surfing and calendar features most frequently and these uses increased over time. For example, the percentage of students reporting that they accessed their e-mail 12 or more times a day increased from 34 percent after one month of use to 50 percent in nine months. Students reported that their devices were useful for meeting coordination, as a discussion device for team projects, and to a lesser degree, as a tool for contacting professors, searching the Web for class materials and posting information.

This trend suggests that handheld devices are more valuable for coordinating activities and instant communication than for large-scale knowledge sharing, said Taylor.

The objective of the Smith Schools groundbreaking initiative to provide BlackBerry handheld devices to all of its full-time MBA students was to encourage the exploration of the potential of always on technology and to teach students how to leverage such technology in the educational experience. Following the programs success the Smith School plans to distribute BlackBerry devices to incoming first-year students for academic year 2005-2006. Each student will receive instruction on use and features during an orientation on August 18, before individually incorporating the device into their overall Smith experience.

This study confirms what our customers continue to tell us, that the Nextel BlackBerry 7510 boosts the productivity and efficiency of those who use it, said Chris Hackett Nextel's vice president, Education. These students are examples of how the get it done now world of business can be transformed by wireless.

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For more information: Angela Toda Robert H. Smith School of Business University of Maryland ( 301.405.8062 atoda@rhsmith.umd.edu