Study: Cingular, Verizon Locked In Enterprise Battle

Cingular is the U.S. wireless carrier used most frequently by enterprise customers but Verizon Wireless both is gaining and has a higher level of satisfaction, according to a study released Monday by market research firm In-Stat.

The study was based on a survey of more than 600 people who make decisions about enterprise wireless purchasing, according to In-Stat.

The study found that much of Verizon's increased adoption by enterprises came at the expense of AT&T Wireless, which merged with Cingular last year. While Verizon Wireless received the highest level of satisfaction, AT&T Wireless, along with Nextel, received the lowest satisfaction ratings from enterprise users.

The survey also found strong interest in Service Level Agreements from wireless carriers, which guarantee certain levels of service. So far, Sprint is the only wireless carrier to offer such agreements.

The survey also found what it called "overlap" between wireless and wireline operators, with a third of respondents receiving integrated bills.