By Freya Purnell
New research by technology analyst firm Telsyte has shown that despite growing numbers of smartphones and media tablets, only 10 per cent of Australian enterprises are using mobile device management (MDM) software to centrally manage mobile devices.
Businesses are using a mix of iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Nokia Symbian, Windows Phone 7 (WP7) and other devices, and while BlackBerry and Nokia Symbian devices have a history with MDM in business, newer smartphones like the iPhone and handsets running Android and WP7 are ideal targets for cross-platform MDM delivered by in-house IT and service providers.
“Implementing MDM to manage the device will allow businesses to maintain control of their data whether the smartphone is owned by the company or the individual,” Gedda said. “This is particularly relevant as more people bring their own device to the workplace.”
In the Telsyte Australian Workforce Mobility Study 2012, Telsyte surveyed more than 250 CIOs and ICT decision makers within Australian enterprises to determine their purchasing intentions and attitudes towards mobile devices and applications.
“Even with the proliferation of more powerful smartphones in recent years, most Australian organisations (52 per cent) are still purchasing mobile handsets and services for people to use for work, with the remainder allowing BYOD,” Gedda says. “This has allowed more consumer-oriented devices like the iPhone and Android-based devices to garner a greater share of the business smartphone market.”
Both Apple’s and Google’s entrance in the smartphone market has paid off in the Australian business space with nearly 40 per cent of enterprises now citing the iPhone as their preferred brand of smartphone, while Android-based smartphones from Samsung and HTC are rising in popularity.
Gedda said CIOs are committed to supporting a heterogeneous mobile operating system landscape with Apple’s iOS top of the support intention scale with Android second.
The reception of non-Windows media tablets in business has also been positive, with 46 per cent of organisations allowing the use of business-supplied media tablets for work.
Apple iPads now make up 90 per cent of the business tablet market with the remainder made up of Android-based devices (Samsung Galaxy and Motorola Xoom). The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet is yet to make a significant impact with around 1 per cent of the market.
According to Telsyte’s research, the most critical priority for CIOs when selecting a smartphone is mobile e-mail which will continue to gain popularity among business professionals.
“The most popular mobile applications used in business are general ones like e-mail, Web browsing and social media leaving a lot of potential for traditional PC-client applications like CRM, business intelligence and vertical industry apps,” Gedda said.
