The present and the future of Enterprise Mobility

Enterprise Mobility systems have a prominent place among modern business management solutions. They have become an important point of reference for business operations and process streamlining. So, what are we to expect of Enterprise Mobility -EM- technology?

Main prospects

It is true that the EM market is quite young, and every business has its own requirements and strategies. Nevertheless, as the market conditions are continuously changing, many remain reluctant, limiting their planning to the next year alone. And given that mobile technology is not restricted to tablets and smartphones anymore, but also includes smart glasses and smartwatches, there are already many EM solutions developed for such devices.

Those at the early stages of EM implementation, are concerned for device security and management. Many businesses are looking for comprehensive solutions that will not only help them increase their productivity, but will also support integration with their existing mobile fleet.

Clearly, the preferred EM solutions are the ones that can be fully integrated with the existing business infrastructure, and mainly the existing operating system, as this means that there is no need to use a parallel system and/or waste valuable IT resources, ultimately further increasing productivity.

Strategy and security

A main reason why most projects fail, is the absence of clear roles and responsibilities. If you don’t have a complete and dedicated EM strategy, them your project will most likely fall behind schedule. Furthermore, many businesses opt for add-on EM management solutions that are an integral part of a bigger system and therefore much more complicated to install, forcing IT to devote significant time and effort in order to organize users, and thus leading to delays.

It is not uncommon for a business not to be able to strike the necessary balance between security and productivity, and ultimately block or restrict access to such a degree that leaves users unable to work in a seamless and productive way. As a result, quite often employees end up looking for unsafe solutions in order to bypass restrictions, or overall disappointed with the mobile approach. An ideal solution should be able to address all these parameters.

Developments in mobile device management

Since Ios 7, Apple is offering all the required features for the secure integration of iPhones with IT systems, while newer versions include even more extensive business features, providing a new momentum to the market.

The same applies for Android as well. In 2015, Google announced Android for Work, a new “layer” in Android OS (version 5.0 and newer) that separates business and personal features – an excellent choice for BYOD plans.