Dubbed as mobile "wannabes" by Forrester Research, this new class of workers represents just 6 percent of the present work force, but Forrester estimates that they will grow to 25 percent of workers within the next four years. In fact, Forrester estimates 73 percent of the work force will be considered some sort of mobile worker by 2012.

"Mobility, as we know it today, is about to be eclipsed by demand from all types of workers who want to use their personal mobile devices to access corporate applications," writes analyst Michele Pelino in a new Forrester report.

Pelino says today's IT managers too narrowly define mobile workers as on-the-road executives or managers, telecommuters or field service employees. They currently represent approximately 20 percent of the work force.