Research firm Forrester says that information worker demand, combined with some employers’ willingness to cover mobile costs, is priming the pump for a surge in smartphone growth.

Forrester surveyed 3,904 information workers; the result is a report titled Collaboration Needs Will Fuel A Smartphone Surge, with the subtitle The Surge Can Be Funded Through A Bring-Your-Own Smartphone Strategy.

They found great excitement about smartphones, “attracted by the ability to email, collaborate, and work with documents from anywhere.”

Forrester also found that while only 14% percent of information workers across the US, Canada, and UK already use smartphones, another 64% would like to. This compares with general consumers usage at 78% with mobile phones and 11% with smart phones.

The thinking is that this unfulfilled demand from information workers, along with some employers’ willingness to share monthly mobile costs, is priming the pump for a surge in smartphone growth.

As always, there is a call to determine a strategy for effective and coordinated usage, and a belief that mobile carriers will be pressured to cut costs across plans. The report even includes suggestions on how to start your smartphone strategy.

The report lists potential capabilities and their current usage from email (92%) to enterprise apps (7%). Some others include: personal contacts (84%), work calendar (83%), IM (48%), emergency response (17%), and team collaboration (12%).

Location flexibility is the top reason (60%) for using a smartphone over a laptop. According to the report, the increased reach will provide the ROI for smartphones, with greater wifi access potentially acting as a mitigating factor.